Can any member of police look up address from number plate?
Can any member of police look up address from number plate?
Author
Discussion

LON85_uk

Original Poster:

12 posts

56 months

Saturday 1st January 2022
quotequote all
Hi everyone.

Daughter (still lives at home with me) went on a date with a guy a little while back. He said he was in the police (didn't seem to have specified exactly what). She elected not to see him again, no problems or anything, just not her cup of tea apparently.

Guy in question subsequently conveniently parked on our street recently. She saw him, they had a pleasant enough hello but she is now freaked out thinking that he clocked her number plate and looked her up via police records. Either that or it's a remarkable coincidence.

To confirm, there is no indication this is the case or that he's in any way 'unhinged' or will cause any problems and it could have been a coincidence (although we live in an area where it'd be unusual for that to be the case). However it has a raised a question in my mind - do the police need 'a reason' to look up someone's details via number plate and is there a record of who has done so and for what purpose, when they do? We know that by definition you get bad apples in any subset of society, are there checks and balances to prevent an unsavoury character deciding he likes the look of someone and getting their details from a number plate?

Thank you!

vonhosen

40,597 posts

246 months

Saturday 1st January 2022
quotequote all
They can perform vehicle checks where they have a valid work related reason to. There will be an audit trail on any checks performed.
Misuse though (ie for unauthorised purposes) is treated seriously.

Auto810graphy

1,611 posts

121 months

Saturday 1st January 2022
quotequote all
As above it is audited and my understanding is all PNC enquiries are logged by date, time, enquirer and reason.

If it is a real problem and goes further you can contact the IOPC but at the moment it’s best to think of it as a coincidence.

LON85_uk

Original Poster:

12 posts

56 months

Saturday 1st January 2022
quotequote all
Thanks so much yes I agree. Interesting info, much appreciated.

av185

20,464 posts

156 months

Saturday 1st January 2022
quotequote all
My ex traffic police brother (retired now) met his future wife by finding her address from her car number then stalking her.

Also bought many desirable cars by finding the address.

The good old days eh.

ReverendCounter

6,087 posts

205 months

Saturday 1st January 2022
quotequote all
Your daughter could end up being the victim of a stalker and she would have a fight on her hands to get the police to act against him despite relatively new laws to combat just this (she already may be a victim of stalking by him).

Add into the mix the fact the person is (assuming he told the truth) a police officer (or someone with access to databases), then seeing as how they close ranks and protect each other, it could end up being difficult.

I would be pushing for action to take place to determine if he's misused the databases. Don't sit back and do nothing because someone on the internet has suggested it's a coincidence. Be proactive, keep protecting her.

Take a look carefully at her car to see of it looks like anything has recently been stuck to it.

Be aware of the multitude of GPS devices that are cheap and easy to use. The ONLY reason a massive rewrite of stalking laws took place is because of one woman, a prolonged victim of a single stalker who used technology like this. The police tried to write her off as being paranoid etc, until they realised it was actually happening (stalker turning up over and over at different places this woman and her partner visited).

I don't care if it *could* be a coincidence, it could also be a stalker in the making. Don't let anyone make you feel you're being unreasonable, you're trying to protect your daughter.

DonkeyApple

69,694 posts

198 months

Saturday 1st January 2022
quotequote all
LON85_uk said:
Thanks so much yes I agree. Interesting info, much appreciated.
Being the father, I don't see how you having to lose by seeking to establish clarity. Almost certainly completely random and nothing to be concerned about but never harms to dot the i's and cross the t's.

First, I would probably be noting down everything currently known regarding the gentleman. Probably not that difficult to establish whether the chap is plod or Walt. If the former then second, I would be pondering whether a Freedom of Information request were possible regarding whether anyone had carried out a search for your daughter's details? An FOI request might not be relevant bit may be worth investigating?

Fozziebear

1,840 posts

169 months

Saturday 1st January 2022
quotequote all
Id be making a call to raise a concern over this, id also be keeping an eye on the street and my daughter, id even be getting her car checked for tampering/trackers etc. Ive worked in the security and investigations world long enough to know there’s no such thing as an innocent coincidence

Durzel

12,999 posts

197 months

Saturday 1st January 2022
quotequote all
Maybe wait to see what happens next before jumping to the extreme conclusion that he looked up her plate on PNC?

How did he even know what her plate was? Does daughter know what business he had parked on the street? Was he there to see someone else?

It’s curious but not suspicious at this point in my opinion.

Monkeylegend

29,189 posts

260 months

Saturday 1st January 2022
quotequote all
Just hope he is not another Wayne Couzens.

Muzzer79

13,056 posts

216 months

Saturday 1st January 2022
quotequote all
Monkeylegend said:
Just hope he is not another Wayne Couzens.
Helpful rolleyes

Monkeylegend

29,189 posts

260 months

Saturday 1st January 2022
quotequote all
Muzzer79 said:
Monkeylegend said:
Just hope he is not another Wayne Couzens.
Helpful rolleyes
Best to be safe don't you think.

Matt_E_Mulsion

1,746 posts

94 months

Saturday 1st January 2022
quotequote all
Durzel said:
Does daughter know what business he had parked on the street? Was he there to see someone else?

It’s curious but not suspicious at this point in my opinion.
Personally I'm thinking along the same lines as this currently.

And as for coincidences, I've bumped into someone I know 230 miles away from where I live and an even greater distance from where he lives. Completely random!!!

Muzzer79

13,056 posts

216 months

Saturday 1st January 2022
quotequote all
Monkeylegend said:
Muzzer79 said:
Monkeylegend said:
Just hope he is not another Wayne Couzens.
Helpful rolleyes
Best to be safe don't you think.
Best to not assume that someone is a once-in-a-generation murderer, just because they appeared on your street.

Also, best not to scare-monger on forums.


Bemmer

1,195 posts

231 months

Saturday 1st January 2022
quotequote all
LON85_uk said:
Hi everyone.

Daughter (still lives at home with me) went on a date with a guy a little while back. He said he was in the police (didn't seem to have specified exactly what). She elected not to see him again, no problems or anything, just not her cup of tea apparently.

Guy in question subsequently conveniently parked on our street recently. She saw him, they had a pleasant enough hello but she is now freaked out thinking that he clocked her number plate and looked her up via police records. Either that or it's a remarkable coincidence.

To confirm, there is no indication this is the case or that he's in any way 'unhinged' or will cause any problems and it could have been a coincidence (although we live in an area where it'd be unusual for that to be the case). However it has a raised a question in my mind - do the police need 'a reason' to look up someone's details via number plate and is there a record of who has done so and for what purpose, when they do? We know that by definition you get bad apples in any subset of society, are there checks and balances to prevent an unsavoury character deciding he likes the look of someone and getting their details from a number plate?

Thank you!
1st Jan the first Troll...?

sospan

2,755 posts

251 months

Saturday 1st January 2022
quotequote all
vonhosen said:
They can perform vehicle checks where they have a valid work related reason to. There will be an audit trail on any checks performed.
Misuse though (ie for unauthorised purposes) is treated seriously.
We had a Chief Constable resign over a couple of issues, one of which was doing checks on his daughter’s boyfriend.

Monkeylegend

29,189 posts

260 months

Saturday 1st January 2022
quotequote all
Muzzer79 said:
Monkeylegend said:
Muzzer79 said:
Monkeylegend said:
Just hope he is not another Wayne Couzens.
Helpful rolleyes
Best to be safe don't you think.
Best to not assume that someone is a once-in-a-generation murderer, just because they appeared on your street.

Also, best not to scare-monger on forums.
Best not to ignore the possibility no matter how small.

LukeBrown66

4,479 posts

75 months

Saturday 1st January 2022
quotequote all
I should not admit it, but I sued to send reg numbers of cars I wanted to my Dad who was a plod, to do checks, wouldn't be able to do it now, it is all traced but it did save me some horrendous cars potentially.

Monkeylegend

29,189 posts

260 months

Saturday 1st January 2022
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Indeed.

meatballs

1,140 posts

89 months

Saturday 1st January 2022
quotequote all
ReverendCounter said:
Your daughter could end up being the victim of a stalker and she would have a fight on her hands to get the police to act against him despite relatively new laws to combat just this (she already may be a victim of stalking by him).

Add into the mix the fact the person is (assuming he told the truth) a police officer (or someone with access to databases), then seeing as how they close ranks and protect each other, it could end up being difficult.

I would be pushing for action to take place to determine if he's misused the databases. Don't sit back and do nothing because someone on the internet has suggested it's a coincidence. Be proactive, keep protecting her.

Take a look carefully at her car to see of it looks like anything has recently been stuck to it.

Be aware of the multitude of GPS devices that are cheap and easy to use. The ONLY reason a massive rewrite of stalking laws took place is because of one woman, a prolonged victim of a single stalker who used technology like this. The police tried to write her off as being paranoid etc, until they realised it was actually happening (stalker turning up over and over at different places this woman and her partner visited).

I don't care if it *could* be a coincidence, it could also be a stalker in the making. Don't let anyone make you feel you're being unreasonable, you're trying to protect your daughter.
As above, might be worth getting the airtag checker app if you are an android house. If your daughter is iPhone user it should already alert her if an airtag has been following her around.