Failures in the way the British Transport Police in Cardiff have handled data could have put public safety at risk, whistleblowers have warned.
An investigation by BBC Wales has resulted in the chief constable of the force being summoned to appear before the Home Affairs Select Committee of MPs after sources – including Jon Williams, a retired detective chief inspector with 30 years experience – raised concerns.
Mr Williams said the quality and management of data at the British Transport Police undermined the Police National Database. This database was created to ensure police share vital intelligence information including names, date of birth and any aliases of suspects.
Mr Williams told the BBC: ‘BTP wasn't creating nominal records so [only] the individual reports were being uploaded. But we couldn't find them. If another force searched on name details of an individual they couldn't find it. We couldn't find it. So that meant nobody else could find it.’
According to Mr Williams this could mean intelligence that could solve or prevent serious crimes could go missing and had led to those guilty of minor crimes being mixed up with sex offenders and violent criminals.
Mr Williams also raised reports of employees being told to record crimes in order to increase funding from the train operating companies that pay for BTP.
Documents seen by the BBC also suggest the BTP knew it was in breach of the Data Protection Act.
In a statement, British Transport Police said it recognised ‘its obligations to record information accurately and welcomes the opportunity for its chief constable to appear before MPs’.
‘In January 2014, we carried out a review and identified ways to improve how our records were more searchable on the Police National Database. As a result of this review, measures were put in place to ensure our records were appropriately linked.’
The news comes as transport minister Claire Perry vowed a major push on safety for women on public transport.
The Department for Transport and the British Transport Police (BTP), have funded a research project by Middlesex University looking at the effectiveness of safety approaches like CCTV, increased police presence, panic buttons and phones in reducing unwanted sexual behaviours on public transport.
The findings will be launched in a seminar later in the spring to transport organisations, women’s groups, policy makers and police officers.
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