History

The UK government Police National Computer

Police National Computer

The Police National Computer is a computer system used extensively by law enforcement organisations across the United Kingdom. It went live in 1974 and now consists of several databases available 24 hours a day, giving access to information of national and local significance.From October 2009, the...

 (PNC) project was evolved in the early 1970s, and was launched in 1974 with Stolen Vehicles as its initial database.

Initially PNC was operated by the Police Information Systems Unit (PISU) of the Home Office

Home Office

The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...

, which later became an Arms Length Body (ALB) of UK Government referred to as the Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO).

The primary site of PISU and later PITO was the Hendon Data Centre, proximate to the Metropolitan Police Training Centre, but latterly other sites emerged.