COMPUTERIZATION OF POLICE DATA - LAWS AND OTHER MEASURES FOR PROTECTING PRIVACY

• NCJ Number: 65697
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 9 pages
• Corporate Author: International Criminal Police Organization
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: France
• Note: REPORT SUBMITTED BY THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT TO THE 47TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION PANAMA, 1978

Annotation

AN INTERPOL REPORT RECOMMENDS LAWS THAT COULD PROTECT COMPUTERIZED DATA FILES IN GENERAL, REVIEWS THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF SUCH MEASURES ON POLICE WORK, AND SUGGESTS A COURSE OF ACTION FOR POLICE AGENCIES TO FOLLOW.

Abstract

PRIVACY SHOULD BE PROTECTED BY PROHIBITIONING THE COMPUTERIZATION OF SPECIFIC KINDS OF PERSONAL DATA, RESTRICTIONS CONCERNING DATA TRANSFERS, COMPULSORY PUBLICATION OF LISTS OF CATEGORIES OF COMPUTERIZED DATA AND THE USES OF SUCH DATA, AND ESTABLISHMENT OF A REVIEW AUTHORITY TO PREVENT ACCESS BY UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF COMPUTERIZED DATA SHOULD HINDER THE POLICE AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE. THE POLICE SHOULD ESPOUSE POLICIES TO 1) ENSURIEN THAT POLICE DATA WORK ITSELF IS NOT MISCONSTRUED AS A THREAT TO PERSONAL PRIVACY, SUCH POLICIES SHOULD ALSO ENSURE THAT THE POLICE VIEWPOINT IS HEARD DURING THE DRAFTING OF LAWS AND REGULATIONS ON POLICE USE OF ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING (EDP). THUS, PERSONAL PRIVACY PROTECTION MEASURES THAT POLICE POLICE SHOULD SEEK TO MODIFY INCLUDE: 1) PROHIBITIONS AGAINST COMPUTERIZING CERTAIN CLASSES OF DATA (POLICE ACCESS TO DATA ON INDIVIDUALS' MENTAL HEALTH, FOR EXAMPLE, IS IMPORTANT FOR CRIME PREVENTION PURPOSES); 2) GENERAL PROHIBITIONS AGAINST LINKING EDP SYSTEMS OF DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATIVE BODIES (INTEGRATION OF ALL POLICE DATA WOULD BE MORE INVESTIGATIONS); 3) PROHIBITIONS AGAINST TRANSFERRING DATA TO FOREIGN AUTHORITIES (INTERNATIONAL POLICE COLLABORATION WOULD BE COMPROMISED); 4) COMPULSORY PUBLICATION OF CATEGORIES OF DATA COMPUTERIZED (CRIMINALS WOULD BE AIDED IN DEVISING PLANS OF ACTION TO EXCAPE POLICE DETECTION); AND 5) COMPULSORY DIVULGING OF DATA TO PERSONS CONCERNED (POLICE INVESTIGATIONS COULD BE THWARTED). IT IS CONCLUDED THAT POLICE FORCES ALREADY USING EDP WILL BE IN A BETTER POSITION TO CONTEST THE VALUE OF SOME LAWS FOR INSURING LIMITED ACCESS TO COMPUTERIZED DATA FILES IF THEY HAVE ALREADY CONFINED THE USE OF THEIR COMPUTERIZED DATA FILES TO LEGITIMATE PURPOSES. (DEG)