False criminal convictions.

xapprenticex

summerlady wrote: »

Unfortunately this isn't entirely unknown, but as ICT engineer says the arrest photo and fingerprints will help resolve this.


I think the idea of going into your local police station is a good one. They may be able to fingerprint you for comparison with the records.


I hope this is quickly resolved. It must have been a shock.

Doesnt sound like a good idea unless you want your finger prints on record. I highly doubt they will provide a tailored service where they use your prints then forget about them.

If you do go that route, just be careful with what you handle because if you go to ikea (for example), handle a knife and someone else buys it and uses it for something illegal, police may come knocking on your door and wasting your time (and theirs i guess).

PasturesNew

If I were a scroat looking to blame somebody else for stuff I'd done - and if I knew you'd gone abroad, it's easy enough to get a copy of your birth certificate and thereby "prove" I am you.... and my crimes go down as your name... even if I were jailed under that name.

Elfbert

xapprenticex wrote: »

Doesnt sound like a good idea unless you want your finger prints on record. I highly doubt they will provide a tailored service where they use your prints then forget about them.

If you do go that route, just be careful with what you handle because if you go to ikea (for example), handle a knife and someone else buys it and uses it for something illegal, police may come knocking on your door and wasting your time (and theirs i guess).

I think the chances of being falsely accused of yet another crime because the police have your dabs are pretty vanishingly small, tbh.

Every time I've had a house burglary I've had to give my fingerprints to the police for elimination from all those found in the house. I've also worked in jobs where I both handle tools/knives and sell them - and I've never been accused of being the criminal yet!

For the chance to get the visa sorted I think the OP is pretty safe in proving they weren't responsible for the record they're currently being given!

blokecalledkev

Hi everybody,

I thought I would update this thread as to how this as worked out. I have received an email this morning from ACRO. It was two sentences long.

"West Yorkshire have contacted us to say they have corrected the record on the Police National Computer. We have missed today's post however your new certificate will be dispatched tomorrow."

No explanation, no apology but at least I will have the correct police certificate for my appointment at the embassy. This as actually been a bit of a shock to me but it looks like it is now sorted.

Again thank you to all that offered help and advice. If I could offer you some advice it would maybe worth while having a look at your own police record, if this mistake can happen to me, it could actually happen to anybody. For me it has been a hassle I could have done without however had an employer seen this it could have been far worse.

Take care, regards Kevin.

BigAunty

PasturesNew wrote: »

If I were a scroat looking to blame somebody else for stuff I'd done - and if I knew you'd gone abroad, it's easy enough to get a copy of your birth certificate and thereby "prove" I am you.... and my crimes go down as your name... even if I were jailed under that name.

Is it actually an offence to give another name, date of birth, etc, when arrested?

I'm not sure it requires anyone to go to the bother of getting copies of birth certificates, etc, to legitimately impersonate another.

This is an old article from 2012 that argues that thousands of people have incorrect criminal records.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2095303/Police-blunders-thousands-records-crimes-committed.html

agrinnall

Good news that it's been corrected, but disappointing to have no explanation or apology. If you can be bothered perhaps writing to the West Yorkshire PCC might get a better response.

http://www.westyorkshire-pcc.gov.uk/

TBagpuss

Glad to hear it has been corrected. I'd second the suggestion to ask for a more detailed explanation, not least to ask them to clarify how the error occurred and what safeguards there are against it happening again.

I don't have a lot of faith in the accuracy of the system. Some years ago I had to get a |CRB certificate in relation to my job, as did one of my colleagues. Mine had to be redone once because the name on the certificate was different to my actual name (appeared to by a typo, but presumably meant they had not actually searched against my name). My colleague had to send hers back 3 times - once they got her date of birth wrong - way off, not just a typo, then they misspelled her surname, then she had one with the masculine form of her forenames...

And our applications were typed so none of it was down to hard-to-read handwriting on a form.

Very good thing you got it sorted before applying for your visa. Kafka has nothing on the US immigration / visa system, as a friend of mine has discovered to her cost.