- Enforcing jurisdiction
- United Kingdom · Geography does not establish applicable law.
- Confirmed applicable legislation
- No confirmed legal basis recorded.
- Privacy topics
West Midlands Police – Violation Found (United Kingdom, 2024)
Privacy enforcement record
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West Midlands Police were found to have mishandled personal data by incorrectly linking records of two individuals with the same name and birth date. This error led to serious mix-ups, including officers visiting the wrong addresses. The case shows the importance of accurate data management in public services.
What happened
West Midlands Police incorrectly merged the records of two individuals with the same name and date of birth multiple times.
Who was affected
Two individuals, one a victim of crime and the other a suspect, whose personal information was mixed up by the police.
What the authority found
The Information Commissioner's Office found that West Midlands Police failed to ensure the accuracy and security of personal data, breaching data protection laws.
Why this matters
This finding highlights the critical need for organizations, especially public services, to maintain accurate records and provide proper training to staff on data protection responsibilities.
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Secondary-source text retrieved.
Automated check recorded — 21 March 2026.
Processing notes: articles corrected, national law identified.
Retrieved text may be a secondary summary or an announcement. These automated statuses do not establish that the original decision was read or that the record received an independent legal review. How we check sources
On numerous occasions throughout 2020, 2021 and 2022, West Midlands Police (WMP), a large regional police force, incorrectly linked and merged the records of two data subjects with the same name and date of birth on multiple occasions. Both people had been victims of crime, and one was a suspect, meaning WMP didn’t make a clear distinction between the personal information of victims and suspects of crime. This led to inaccurate personal data being processed on WMP’s systems and resulted in a number of incidents, including officers attending the wrong address when attempting to find a person regarding serious safeguarding concerns. Officers also incorrectly visited the school of a wrong person’s child. On 12 July 2022, WMP sent a letter to one individual that was intended for the other, disclosing that they had been a victim of an assault. At this time, the recipient was aware of the data accuracy issue on WMP’s systems and that this letter related to an individual who shares their name and date of birth and lives in the local area. ICO found that WMP did not take steps to rectify the error quickly enough and there was a failure to stop the inaccurate linking of records reoccurring, both breaches of data protection law. Considering the security incident, WMP have failed to demonstrate that they have kept personal data secure in relation to the other incidents affecting these two individuals. Due to the lack of appropriate records of these incidents, WMP do not know whether personal data was disclosed, including information concerning criminal offences. Also, WMP failed to demonstrate that they have ensured the accuracy and security of personal data relating to the two individuals in this case. WMP did not hold adequate records of the incidents relating to the accuracy and security of these individuals’ personal data. The ICO found that there was a lack of regular data protection training and not enough was done to make employees aware of their responsibilities to
Outcome
Violation Found
The DPA found a violation but did not impose a fine.
Related Enforcement Actions (0)
No other enforcement actions found for West Midlands Police in UK
This is the only recorded action for this entity in this jurisdiction.
Details
Decision Date
1 March 2024
Authority
Information Commissioner's Office
About this data
Cite as: Cookie Fines. West Midlands Police - United Kingdom (2024). Retrieved from cookiefines.eu
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