UK Police Certificate update
 

Hi Everyone,

On the 2nd September I filed for my UK Police Cert then posted the following post

"I went to Ely Police station and submitted the paperwork for my Police certificates and the Police Officer on the desk asked if I was needed back soon - I said the 40 days was fine. He then said (in the police sarcastic voice) you'll be lucky. Apparently at the moment these things are taking up to 8 weeks and he told me not to expect anything in under 6 weeks. "

Well low and behold it arrived today - 29 days in. So the police officer added extra stress where no extra stress was needed.

Re: UK Police Certificate update
 

That's great - my fiance filed for his out in the Sticks in Surrey and he hasn't gotten it yet - that was in early August...
guess you just never can predict these things!
sal

Re: UK Police Certificate update
 

That is good news! Did you file it in/around the London area?

Re: UK Police Certificate update
 

I called Glos Police from the US regarding my Report, he sent me the
forms which i got 5 days later ...the final report i had 16 days after
sending it back from the USA to gloucester. The Data Protection
officer whom i spoke to personally ( i didnt go to the front desk or
speak to another officer, perhaps that made the difference if you ask
for thier data protection officer on the phone and deal with him
directly then it wont be lying in some inbox for ever.) was very very
helpful.

On Tue, 01 Oct 2002 20:54:17 +0000, jsv888
wrote:

    >Originally posted by Patrick:
    >> Hi Everyone,
    >> On the 2nd September I filed for my UK Police Cert then posted the
    >> following post
    >> "I went to Ely Police station and submitted the paperwork for my
    >> Police certificates and the Police Officer on the desk asked if I was
    >> needed back soon - I said the 40 days was fine. He then said (in the
    >> police sarcastic voice) you'll be lucky. Apparently at the moment
    >> these things are taking up to 8 weeks and he told me not to expect
    >> anything in under 6 weeks. "
    >> Well low and behold it arrived today - 29 days in. So the police
    >> officer added extra stress where no extra stress was needed.
    >That is good news! Did you file it in/around the London area?

Re: UK Police Certificate update
 

Ely - 15 miles north of Cambridge (about 40 minutes drive from that there London)

Patrick

Re: UK Police Certificate update
 

Hi,

From talking to the data protection officer at my local force it appears that ALL requests for 'subject access' (which is the police report) go to a central office in London - so once it has gone from your local force it should not matter where you are filing it..........They have a legal responsibility to produce the report WITHIN 40 working days. Some requests will be quicker than others!!
I am planning on allowing the full 40 days as it seems to be valid for immigration (K1 etc) purposes for 12 months after you get it.

Hope this is of help...

Pete

Re: UK Police Certificate update
 

No body should have to wait more than about 6 weeks for a Police Certificate in England and Wales.

Sections 7 through to 9 of the Data Protection Act 1998 stipulate that disclosure of information held by a public authority MUST occur within 40 days.(Please note this is NOT 40 working days but 40 actual days).

Failure to do so is unlawful and give rise to a civil claim, that is that you can apply to your local county court in England and Wales (the procedure varies in Scotland) for an Order that the information is delivered up.

In fact it is unlikely that this will be necessary, a quick call to the Data Protection Unit of the relevant Police Force should suffice.

However, most forces do take the full 40 days and I understand that this is because they all use the National Identification Service (NIS), based at Scotland Yard.

Any delay experienced is likely to be because the relevant police force delayed in forwarding the 'Subject Access Request' to the NIS.

Police Forces have been known to obstruct access, but this is rare and generally restricted to cases where the information is being requested to support a complaint against the Police - it is extrememly unlikely that a subject access request for a visa application would be obstructed in this way.

If you have difficulties or experience significant delays you could consider one or more of the following:
- complain to the Data Protection Commissioner
- complain to the Chief Officer of the relevant force
- seek the help of your MP
- seek advice from a CAB, Law Centre or Solicitor.

Rob