The Central Referral Unit (CRU), part of the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), is facing criticism for advising police forces to withhold information from the public under freedom of information laws. A BBC news investigation has revealed that the NPCC recommends blocking the release of information on sensitive topics, including the use of prohibited surveillance software.
The directive has raised concerns about transparency and the public's right to know. The CRU defended its actions, stating that it operates within legal boundaries and merely provides guidance to local forces on how to respond to FOI requests.
In a statement, Jake Hurfurt, Head of Research and Investigations at Big Brother Watch, said that this is "the practice of an authoritarian censor not an accountable public body.
"It is alarming that the NPCC is going beyond giving advice to individual forces and instead seemingly orchestrating how every force responds to sensitive transparency requests."
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