The PNC provides quick and accurate intelligence. Some of its functionality includes:

• QUEST (Querying Using Enhanced Search Techniques) - enables the search of the names database to identify suspects through the use of gathered information such as physical description and personal features.
• VODS (Vehicle Online Descriptive Search) - allows users to search the vehicles database by search criteria such as registration, postcode and colour details to narrow the list to potential suspect vehicles.
• ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) - is used to take a visual image of a number plate, the PNC scans thousands of numbers each hour, alerting police to any that are of interest. 
• Property - the PNC can search for items which are lost and found such as firearms, trailers, marine, plant and animals. 
• CRIMELINK - An enhanced, web-based version of the Comparative Case Analysis Tool (CCA), which can be used to solve serious serial-type crimes by searching for similarities in incidents helping investigators to identify patterns and links.

The PNC is continually being upgraded, ensuring that developments are in line with police needs.

The most recent introduction has included the National Firearms Register and work is moving toward mobile data checking. By using hand-held devices officers will be able to do checks at the road-side further increasing efficiency and the effective service that the police already provide the public.

Background

The PNC began in 1974 with the stolen vehicles database and has grown to include many things such as wanted or missing people and a missing property database.

Up until 1995 the PNC was largely a data storage warehouse but with the advances in technology it has become an on-line aid to investigations. The advances in technology allow police to search for criminals and vehicles sometimes using only partial pieces of information.

Benefits

The PNC is a national system and can be accessed 24 hours a day throughout the year. It allows for the sharing of information through a secure network. It is quick, efficient and an unrivalled source of information used as a tool for investigating crimes.

Over 35 years, the system has grown to embrace many technological advances, incorporating advice from the government and policing bodies, as well as from in-house and industry technical experts. It has developed from a record keeping service to a sophisticated intelligence tool.

Current status

During 2010, nearly 175 million transactions took place on the PNC, with a record monthly total in August of over 15 million.

Subject access requests

The data held on PNC records is owned by individual police forces, PNC Services are the custodians of the police data and we maintain the database for Police and other Agencies. PNC Customer Support is therefore unable to process 'Subject Access Requests', these requests are processed by Data Protection Offices within local police forces. 

As a result, if any amendment or deletion of a personal record is required,  the request needs to be submitted to a local police force in writing, most police forces have a form that must be completed when making an application.

Please follow the link to the Information Commissioners Officer regarding 'Subject Access Request' for further information.