New agreement allows RGP access to UK database

The Royal Gibraltar Police has signed an agreement that will allow continued access to the police databases in the UK when seeking information about people, vehicles and property.

The agreement was signed in Gibraltar by the NPCC Police National Computer (PNC) lead Deputy Chief Constable, Naveed Malik, the RGP’s Commissioner of Police, Richard Ullger, and the Government of Gibraltar’s Chief Secretary, Darren Grech.

The document has also been agreed in the UK by Gordon Grace, Director of the Home Office.

“This agreement will allow RGP officers to make use of the UK’s new Law Enforcement Data Service (LEDS) which is about to replace the Police National Computer, a system that has been in use for nearly 50 years,” the RGP said in a statement.

“LEDS can be accessed through a variety of devices and will allow officers to have immediate access to data on offenders, vehicles, drivers, fingerprints, DNA and information on any missing persons.”

“At this stage, it will be a one-way process: no Gibraltar data will be available to UK forces, as RGP will initially have read only access.”

Mr Malik said: “LEDS is a new, ground-breaking data service which will help to manage threats, harm and risks.”

“RGP officers will now be able to access a wide range of data held by UK police forces and, by doing so, help to protect the Gibraltar community.”

For his part, Mr Ullger said: “The origins of this new agreement go back to December 2015 when the Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, first wrote to the Home Office in the UK to request that the UK’s opt-into the EU’s Prüm Convention on the international exchange of data should also apply to Gibraltar.”

“Although this became irrelevant after Brexit, it was the genesis for the RGP to work with UK colleagues to connect us with the UK’s Police National Computer and to its successor, the Law Enforcement Data Service.”

“I am very grateful to officers in both Gibraltar and the UK who have brought this work to a successful conclusion as it will be of great benefit for the RGP in its battle against crime.”