New national record-keeping standards

Our new Police information and records management Code of Practice sets national standards for police information management, including record keeping and data sharing.

We've developed the Code in partnership with the Home Office, key stakeholders and policing experts to improve transparency and ensure information obtained by the police is consistently:

• treated ethically
• follows appropriate privacy measures
• complies with information management regulations

It replaces the Code of Practice on the Management of Police Information (MoPI), and has been updated to apply to corporate governance records as well as records such as case files. 

The way we handle information and data underpins all aspects of policing, from busy operational command centres through to offices where staff carry out administrative and clerical work that supports officers to carry out their duties. 

The public, when they provide us with information and intelligence, rightly expect the police will treat it carefully and respectfully. We encourage chief officers to work with their data protection and information management teams to begin implementing the new code and guidance. 

Ensuring consistency, accountability and transparency in the management of police information will help to make sure that policing is better able to handle data and support post-event inquiries without adding to the pain and suffering of those involved. 

Dave Hudson, Policing Standards Manager for Information Management 

We're also boosting our guidance in this area with the introduction of our Archiving of records in the public interest authorised professional practice (APP).

APP is the official source of professional practice for everyone within policing and aims to support everyone working in policing to: 

• understand how the code of practice applies to them 

• what they can do in their day-to-day roles to ensure they support their force to comply with it 

• improve decision making in this area of policing, including identifying and managing information and records that should be retained beyond their normal retention periods, in the public interest

• Read the Code of Practice
• Read the Archiving of records in the public interest APP