118
IPCO Annual Report 2017
Error Investigation 8
Responsible Party
Public Authority
Human or Technical
Human
Cause
Misinterpretation of data
Data Acquired
Incoming call data
Description
A public authority had reported to them the site where a body had
been deposited. This information was passed into the public authority
by a third person unconnected to the incident. From the information
gleaned through a translator the public authority sought to trace the
original informant.
The incoming call data covering the time period advised by the
translator captured just one number that led to the arrest of its
subscriber on suspicion of murder.
A later review established the call to have been mistranslated.
Consequence
Innocent person arrested and interviewed.
Error Investigation 9
Responsible Party
Public Authority
Human or Technical
Human
Cause
Transposition
Data Acquired
Subscriber information relating to an IP address
Description
A public authority was trying to locate a young person in crisis. With the
child having made contact with a charity via the internet an IP address
time and date was identified. To ensure the assigned customer for the
time in question was captured the SPoC sought data to include the
90 minute period before the contact with the charity had been made
(as advised by the CSP concerned to ensure the relevant IP address
was captured). This brought back the account number for the correct
customer and that of its previous user. When seeking to change the
account number into the customers name and address the account
number for the previous user of this IP was used instead. Police made
contact with account holder using the IP previous to the young child. It
was later confirmed that the mother of the actual child in question had
reported the matter via another channel.
Consequence
Police visited the premise of an individual unconnected to their search.