Police store data of millions of innocent 999 callers


According to the BBC:

Millions of innocent people who have reported a crime have their details stored on police databases, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.

The Press Association study found forces in England and Wales have kept data on people who called them.

Senior officers said gathering data was necessary to fight crime, protect the vulnerable and ensure concerns were dealt with properly.

But privacy campaigners including Big Brother Watch expressed their concerns.

Evidence of the police databases was collected in a series of FOI requests.

A total of 13 forces responded with details revealing how they held between 10,091 records – in Lincolnshire – and 1.1 million records, which West Midlands Police had amassed over the past 12 years.