Data protection

Subject Access Requests

Under Section 7 of the Data Protection Act 1998 you have a right to see a copy of your ‘personal data’ held on either the Police National Computer (PNC) or local police systems. You have a right  to be  provided  with  a  copy  of  that  personal data  within  a  40  day  period however certain information may be subject to exemptions if release of the information would prejudice a police operation or would identify other people. Subject Access Requests are subject to a £10 fee and proof of identity.

Information held on PNC

If  you  require  a  check  to  be  made  against  your  conviction  history (PNC  check) this check is carried out by Association  of  Chief  Police  Officers Criminal  Records  Office (ACRO) and the following form is to be completed.

• Subject Access Application (ACRO SAR 1)

If you require a check may also be referred to as Police Certificates, Certificates of Good Behaviour, PNC Disclosures or PNC prints.

Please note that the City of London Police is unable to process this type of Subject Access Request and such requests must be sent directly to ACRO.

For further details:

0845 601 3999 (08:30 – 16:30 Monday to Friday)

acro.policecertificates@acro.pnn.police.uk

ACRO
PO Box 481
Fareham
PO14 9FS

Information held on City of London Police Systems

If require a check to be made against your personal data held by City of London Police then the following form is to be completed. 

• Application for access to your personal data held by the City of London Police

Please note: This is only in relation to local information held by the City of London Police. It will NOT include information held on the Police National Computer (PNC).

We can only supply your personal data to you. Should  you  be  making  an application on  behalf  of  any  other  person  (third  party),  please  ensure  you enclose  an  original letter  of  authorisation  from  that  individual  (the  person  who the  information  is  about). Please  also  ensure  that  this  individual  has  signed the application  form  and  provided their  identification  documents. 

Visa Requests

If you require a police check to apply for a visa for Australia, Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and USA these requests are processed entirely by ACRO.

• ACRO Police Certificates

Please note that Embassies for the above countries will normally only accept ACRO certificates. For other countries, applicants will need to apply to Disclosure Scotland, or make a Subject Access Request, depending on the requirements of the relevant Embassy.

Employment

The City of London Police does not provide disclosures for employment vetting services. If  you  require  a  disclosure  for  UK  employment  purposes,  please contact  Disclosure Scotland on 08706096006 . Disclosure Scotland is a government approved agency that provides suitable reports for employers showing any relevant convictions.

There are 3 levels of PNC Disclosure:

Basic

A Basic Disclosure contains details of only unspent convictions. There are times when a conviction becomes ‘spent’. This means the rehabilitation period has expired and you do not need to reveal them when asked to disclose your criminal history. If an offence is ‘unspent’ you must disclose it when asked about your criminal convictions.

• http://www.disclosurescotland.co.uk/

Standard

A Standard Disclosure contains spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings.

• http://www.disclosurescotland.co.uk/

Enhanced

An Enhanced Disclosure is only available from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) – formally called Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) to Registered Bodies for those individuals seeking employment with children and vulnerable adults. They contain details of all spent and unspent convictions and additionally local intelligence assessed to be relevant to the post applied for. Individuals can only make an application via a Registered Body.

• http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/agencies-public-bodies/dbs/
  

Fair Processing Notice

The City of London Police gathers and holds personal information which it uses for a policing purpose. This includes: Protecting life and property; Preserving order; Preventing the commission of offences; Bringing offenders to justice; Any duty or responsibility of the police arising from common or statute law.

• Download the Fair Processing Notice (PDF)