116
IPCO Annual Report 2018
6,000
5,320
5,000
4,333
4,176
4,000
4,377
3,361
2,998
3,000
2,239
2,310
2,651
1,958
2,000
1,000
0
229
2009
234
2010
24
64
53
90
62
76
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
Public and local authorities
123
124
2017
2018
(Annualised
Figure)
LEAs
Figure 23: CHIS authorisations, law enforcement agencies and public and local
authorities
18.7
For the use of relevant sources,38 there has been little change from 2017 in the total
number of undercover officer authorisations and the number of those renewed. Taking a
longer-term view, the total number of authorisations has decreased from levels in excess of
1,000 each year between April 2014 to April 2016, which may be due to reduced availability
of resources, or agencies finding alternative ways to tackle the criminality.
1,400
1,200
1,155
1,000
800
902
1,158
1,032
769
696
600
757
598
Notifications
Cancellations
Renewals
400
200
0
72
93
1 April 2015 31 March 2016
1 April 2016 31 March 2017
51
51
Annualised
for 2017
2018
Figure 24: Relevant sources
38 The Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Covert Human Intelligence Sources: Relevant Sources) Order 2013 (“the 2013 Relevant
Sources Order”) further defines a particular type of CHIS as a ‘relevant source’. This is a source holding an office, rank or position
with the public authorities listed in the Order and Annex B to the code. Enhanced authorisation arrangements are in place for this
type of CHIS as detailed in the code.