UK Police certificate application (ACRO)

[David2736]

Hi all

I appreciate your help in advance here.

I am asking for a police certificate and one question is:

Have you ever been Arrested, Cautioned, Warned or Reprimanded or been Convicted of a criminal offence in England, Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland?

I found this to be quite ridiculous because surely the police should have this information and that is exactly what I am asking for from them? Why am I informing them?!

I have prepared the information best to my knowledge but in all honesty I am unsure on whether I should put it down.

On one hand: The worst of my police history might well have stayed local and therefore not on any 'central' db so informing ACRO might alert them to update this central db and therefore dig me a deeper hole.

On the other hand: The form has a decleration section saying that I swear the entire application is true to my knowledge or I face criminal proceedings if I omit anything.

I don't know what to do!!

I wrote this but unsure whether to include it. If I do, is this format OK? HELP!!! (please)

ARRESTS/CAUTIONS/WARNINGS/REPRIMANDS KNOWN:
I CANNOT BE SURE OF THESE DETAILS AS MY MEMORY IS POOR AND THEY
WOULD HAVE HAPPENED UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL.

ARREST/CAUTION - APPROX 6 YEARS AGO - BURGLARY WITH INTENT TO CAUSE
CRIMINAL DAMAGE., AND CRIMINAL DAMAGE.

THIS WAS DROPPED TO A CAUTION BECAUSE A) THE HOMEOWNER INFORMED
POLICE THAT I LIVED THERE AT THE TIME AND CLIMBED THROUGH THE
BEDROOM WINDOW AS I HAD FORGOTTEN A KEY, AND B) THE CRIMINAL
DAMAGE WAS FOUND TO BE WITHOUT INTENT TO AN INTERNAL DOOR DURING
A DISAGREEMENT WITH MY GIRLFRIEND LIVING THERE WITH ME.

CAUTION/FIXED PENALTY CHARGE - APPROX 4 YEARS AGO - PUBLIC ORDER
OFFENCE UNDER INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL.

I WAS HANDED A FIXED PENALTY NOTICE 'ON THE SPOT FINE', PAID IN FULL
AND THE MATTER CONSIDERED SETTLED FORTHWITH.



ANY OTHER OFFENCES THAT MAY OCCUR ON UK POLICE DATABASES WOULD
HAVE BEEN FORGOTTEN ABOUT AND SO, OMITTED. BEST TO MY KNOWLEDGE,
THERE SHOULD BE NOTHING MORE AND CERTAINLY NOTHING OUTSTANDING
(UNSPENT CONVICTION FOR EXAMPLE)

 

[zardoz]

All your information is on the PNC system. Period.. There is no point in trying to hide anything.

 

[David2736]

All your information is on the PNC system. Period.. There is no point in trying to hide anything.

If it's already on the system, why do I need to inform them of the information they should already have?

 

[zardoz]

You'd have to ask "them" that question. Maybe it's to make their lives easier, or to see if you are being truthful?

 

[David2736]

Hi guys

I have just phoned the ACRO/ACPO customer services line and spoke to a very helpful lady who clarified why they ask that and so many other questions on the application that people might feel they should already know.

It is for security. It is another layer of them asking you to prove who you are.

I said I did not know many details and I was told to put as much information as I am aware of, rough dates or even just the year or range, the crime or known details of the crime, the outcome, and where the crime was committed and arrested/stopped for.

The fact some body recently said they were emailed by ACRO asking "are you sure you've never been arrested" is them basically asking for you to reaffirm that you are who you say you are, and in that particular case I have a feeling they were arrested for something, probably minor and a long time ago...all the other personal details match up except for the offences/arrests/cautions info