Homeowners in the UK will be delighted to know that at long last a national crime database is to be launched. The National Police Improvement Authority (NPIA) will oversee the database that goes live today and it means that over 50 police forces in England and Wales can share information on the activities of criminals.

Database may cover for loss of neighbourhood constable

It will come as a relief to many people who worry constantly about security in their own homes even though they have good buildings and contents insurance. At a time when whole areas are losing their neighbourhood “bobby” the fact that regional forces can share information with each other will reassure property owners to a certain degree that they are not being abandoned.

Serious crime will be prime target

Of course the national database will be seen as a resource for the solving of serious crime primarily, and indeed the idea was first mooted by Lord Bichard in his enquiry into the murders of two young schoolgirls in Soham in 2004. The fact that police forces will be able to identify crime patterns nationwide though, should also help in tracking down criminals who specialise in house crime.

Database access will be vetted

The NPIA will strictly monitor the use of the new database with only about 1 in 100 policemen having access to it. The networked computers will be stored in specially designed “bunkers” that will be thoroughly secured to the point of being windowless, and only people who have been given special passes will be admitted. Each force will be able to decide what information they make available on the database and Policing minister Nick Herbert was quick to reassure civil liberty groups that measures would be put in place to ensure victims of crime were not put at further risk by the process.

System will help in the fight against cyber crime

It is thought the database will also be a big help in the battle against house crime. Many people are now robbed every day from an action that takes place in their home but is probably committed miles away. Online crime is now costing home owners millions of pounds each year and many householders have no idea they have been robbed until they check their bank balances at the end of the month. This database should also identify the fraudsters and scammers that use the internet to trap their victims.