Criminal Records Bureau Check

[Kat213]

Can anyone tell me how long a police caution remains on file? I understand that the caution was in 1989. And would this now show up on a Criminal Records Bureau Check if an enchanced check is carried out? Thanks in anticipation of help!

[Paul87]

3 - 5 years depending on offense committed

[kempie]

Standard and Enhanced Disclosures of the CRB will contain information held on the Police National Computer (PNC).

A PNC record will have be created for persons including those who:
� Are the subject of judicial process for recordable offences including information about their current status;
� Have previous convictions for recordable offences (including reprimands, warnings and cautions);
� Are currently disqualified from driving;
� Are wanted by the police;
� Have been arrested and fingerprints or DNA samples have been taken;
� Are missing or have otherwise come to notice.

Certain information held on the PNC will be 'stepped down' after specific time periods. This stepped down information will not appear on the subject's Standard Disclosure.
An Enhanced Disclosure may include the stepped down information if it is deemed relevant and may include additional information held by local police forces which does not appear on the PNC.

http://www.crb.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=1871


How long does a does a police caution stay on file?

As per the 2006 Retention Guidelines, all PNC records are retained for police use until the subject attains the age of 100 years.

For adult cautions the step down will occur after a 'clear period', i.e. the subject does not come to any further notice by the police, and is dependent on the category of offence:

� Serious offences and potentially dangerous people i.e. those deemed to pose the highest possible risk to the public - 10 years
� Other sexual and violent offences - 5 years
� All other non-violent, non-sexual offences - 5 years

[kempie]

I have just noticed that the three category headings I have used are from pre-2006 guidelines. To view which offences fall within the categories (imaginatively called A, B and C) read the guidelines available for download from the second link.

[Kat213]

Thansk for your help Kempie. I have also read elsewhere that police cautions were not recorded on the PNC until 1995. Do you (or does anyone else) know if this means that a caution pre-1995 will not be on the PNC?

[kempie]

It is likely that a caution from 1989 exists in archived form at the local police station from where it was issued.

This is the type of information that the extra checking involved in an Enhanced CRB Disclosure would bring up (if it does exist?) and would be assessed by the local force's disclosure unit as to it's relevance. If deemed not relevant, this information is not passed to the CRB.

The subject access provisions of the Data Protection Act gives an individual the right to have a copy of any personal data held on them. Section 7 of the Act states that a �data subject� (the person about whom the personal data refers) is entitled, upon written request, to be informed whether or not personal data is held or processed about them.

Should you wish to know what information (if any) the local Police Force holds about you, or you would like confirmation that you do, or do not have a prosecution/conviction history, you need to complete a Subject Access form. Payment of a �10 fee and proof of identification must accompany a completed application form.

For contact details use the clickable map of UK Police Forces found here... http://www.police.uk/forces.htm