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Police are to be given access to the Government’s new children’s database, which is designed to protect every child in England from the risk of harm or abuse, in order to search for evidence of criminal activity.
ContactPoint, due to be launched this autumn, will hold information on all under-18s in England and was set up to allow social workers, schools, GPs and other professionals to share information if they suspect a child is in danger. It will not include case information on children but will record whether they have contact with a Youth Offending Team or services such as drug rehabilitation.
The Government confirmed last night that police would be able to apply for access to the system, an admission which comes as concern grows over the increasing “criminalisation” of young people through the use of ASBOs and surveillance. Civil rights activists have also protested at police powers to retain the DNA profiles of almost 40,000 children.
Police will be able to request archived data for a number of reasons, such as “the prevention or detection of crime” and “the prosecution of offenders”.
A spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said: “To access ContactPoint for the purposes of prevention or detection of crime or for the prosecution of offenders, police would have to make a special request directly to the Secretary of State or the local authority.”
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The intention is to protect children. What would appear to be a consequence of this is that anybody who worries that the police will use ContactPoint to identify them through their children, will make sure that their children don't appear on ContactPoint, or that their information is not up to date.
Eiffor Juan, London,
It seems only fair that the police will be allowed access to ContactPoint, as I have no doubt everyone else will. The security of UK government databases is non-existent.
alan, benalmadena, spain
Tracking of all individuals, obedience to the state. Stalin, the SS / Hitler, Chairman Mao, Pol Pot, the Stazi would be proud of how a bunch of New Labour spives have turned a once proud and democratic country into a Communist police state. Thank goodness we have upstanding police to help New Labour
Andrea Worth, Brighton, UK
Don't see the problem. If you're innocent and have nothing to hide what do you have to lose?
I for one would give the police whatever they need to tackle crime, including personal details.
Alex, London,
The setting up of these databases is a pretext for enslaving our children!
Living in a future society when life is based on fear and a justice system of "guilty until proven innocent". Your tracked in your car via GPS and your transactions authorised via ID cards!
Your a slave to the system!!!
Andrew, Durham, England
For a moment I thought...but no - no, we are not living in a police state, are we?
We know this because our politicians tell us.
This stinks - the police are getting out of control and now seem to think they run this country.
Why won't our politicians protect us?
Jonathan Peden, Birmingham, England
How DARE they treat our children like this!
ContactPoint goes way, way, beyond what is acceptable in a supposedly "free" society.
It is vital, for the sake of our children, that New Labour is removed from office - permanently.
New Labour must never, ever, be allowed to have power over us again.
Brian Drury, London Colney, England
No wonder there is so much criminal activity in Brtain at the moment, it is a backlash against a paranoid and suffocating state which demands the right to interfere with every aspect of people's lives. It is a pity that people don't take more interest in the encroaching threat to their liberty.
judy, Liverpool, England
Of course this will happen - I think not !!!!!!!! Jaw Jaw again and again with very little action !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ian payne, WALSALL,
I suppose this is more data that will be lost by Nu-Labour on a train or in a car.
Peterr, Northants, UK