IPCO Annual Report 2017
Statistics of use of powers
5.6
1,453 authorisations for property interference under Part III of the Police Act 1997 were
granted during the nine months from 1 April to 31 December 2017. Annualised this is 1937
warrants, which is broadly similar to the 1,842 reported by the OSC for the 2016-17 annual
report period. Over the past ten years, the number of authorisations has fluctuated between
two and three thousand authorisations per annum.
Fig. 5 1997 Police Act Property Interference Authorisations over the last 10 years
2007-2008
2008-2009
2009-2010
2010-2011
2011-2012
2012-2013
2013-2014
2014-2015
2015-2016
2016-2017
(annualised figure) 2017
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
5.7
During this reporting period no property interference authorisations were quashed by
a Surveillance Commissioner or JC.
5.8
We currently report the number of Intelligence Services Act warrants to the Prime Minister
in a confidential annex to this report.
The authorisation process
5.9
The process for authorising property interference is different for law enforcement and the
intelligence agencies.
Law enforcement agencies and others
5.10
An applicant must submit a written request to the authorising officer who is a member
of the same public authority, unless a relevant collaboration agreement exists. In urgent
circumstances the applicant may make an oral application which must be followed up in
writing at the earliest opportunity.
5.11
As with other applications for investigatory powers, the application must provide a detailed
description of the activity and its consequences. This should include, for example, a
description of the property subject to the interference, the identity of those who possess
it, where the interference will take place, the nature of the interference, the offence under
consideration and why the intrusion is justified, along with any collateral intrusion.
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