NCJ Number
90489
Journal
Schriftenreihe der Polizei-Fuehrungsakademie Issue: 3 Dated: (1981) Pages: 294-300
Date Published
1981
Length
7 pages
Annotation
In this article, the Federal Data Protection Commissioner of West Germany defines his position and explains what has to be observed by police according to the law on data protection.
Abstract
Gathering and processing data for police use is only admissible if necessary for a 'lawful execution of duties.' Access to information on suspects is particularly important in police investigation of terrorist activities. However, current police operation of data banks and use of information from them impinges on citizens' privacy rights. Information is frequently entered on people whose behavior does not justify being under police suspicion, citizens are not informed of the kind of information held on them, and data transfer among agencies may result in unconstitutionally incriminating situations. Provisions should be made for the erasure of all personal intelligence data once the legitimate police action is completed. In the future, automated data use will be an intrinsic part of police investigation, but police data gathering and interpretation should become more focused rather than more expansive. Police should themselves ensure that their intelligence procedures concerning automated data are within the confines of what data security laws allow.