Data bases - positive policing or civil liberties nightmare?

This chapter considers the potential dangers involved in the use and development of data bases. It also considers what protections might help to achieve a more appropriate balance between ‘law and order’ interests, in particular the interests of the police in preventing crime by invasive policing techniques, and the need to safeguard the public from invasive policing which gives rise to issues of privacy. The creation of police data bases can be found at both the local and national level within the UK, with the national context developing links with European policing networks. Computer technology can offer a system by which the method of policing can be enhanced but the effectiveness of such a project is reliant upon the ability of the organization itself to adapt to new systems of working. Whilst technological developments appear to further the use and efficiency of proactive policing, questions of privacy and control arise in the context of civil liberties which ultimately require consideration.