'Auditors' at police stations

Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FOI/26/009906/F

 

Version Date: 01/06/2026

 

The Performance & Analysis Department has provided the following information:

 

Data Source:

Crime information system – Niche

Crime information system – UNIFI

Force incident recording system – Storm

 

Data Processing:

Niche

Cancelled crimes included, Non notifiable crimes excluded                                  

Qliksense Report: Occurrence People Links (all)                                                 

Filtered by date: January 1st 2020 to December 31st 2025                                  

MO/Summary searched for: Auditor                                                

Address searched for: Police                                                

Qliksense Report: MO Text search                                                 

Occurrence date/time created: January 1st 2020 to December 31st 2025               

MO Data: Auditor                                             

Address searched for: Police                                                

 

UNIFI                                         

Cancelled crimes included, Non notifiable crimes excluded                                  

QlikView Report: Crime and Enquiries Freetext Report 2020 to 2022            

Crime Only                                            

Filtered by date: January 1st 2020 to November 13th 2022                                  

Freetext Search: *auditor*                                          

Address searched for: Police                                                

                                                  

Storm                                         

QlikView Report: Storm Freetext Reports 2020 to 2025                                        

Freetext Search: *auditor*                                          

Address searched for: Police                                                

Qliksense Report: Incidents                                                  

Include Admin Incidents: Yes                                               

Filtered by date: April 1st 2021 to December 31st 2025                                       

Description: Auditor                                                   

Address searched for: Police                                                

 

Data Limitations:

On November 14th 2022, Devon & Cornwall Police transitioned to a new crime management system. As a result of this transition, several reports were made redundant or unavailable.                                                                                             

The Crime and Enquiries Free text search report is one of the reports made redundant, as it could not be replicated using the new crime management system. Any data obtained from this report is as of November 13th 2022.

The incident report does not contain data prior to April 1st 2021.                                                                                             

Whilst crime MO/Summaries were searched, the crime Occurrence Entry Log (OEL) provides a much bigger data set with greater detail, increasing the chance of finding result, there is currently no way to search a crimes entire OEL, without manually accessing every single offence.  This would make the request over the 18-hour fee limit.                                                                                           

 

Data may contain duplicates - whilst every care has been taken to remove these, there may be instances in which one reference is not linked to another reference and so an incident/crime is counted twice within the figures.                                                                                                   

Data is limited to where the recorded address contains "Police".                     

 

Results were read for relevance.

 

How many incidents has the force recorded involving so called ‘auditors’* at police stations or buildings in the last five years?

Auditors refers to people who film police buildings and their interactions with officers - they may then post the footage online.

Please provide figures since the start of 2020, breaking down into annual figures by calendar year. 

Year	Total
2020	0
2021	1
2022	7
2023	1
2024	5
2025	2
Grand Total	16

 

 

Please provide details of the incidents if possible.

Description of Offence extracted from Incident Log or Description Log

 

A MALE OUTSIDE THE STATION TAKING PICTURES

A MALE STOOD OUTSIDE OF THE SIG, FLYING HIS DRONE OVER THE STATION AND TAKING PHOTOS OF CARS AND PEOPLE.

MALE FILMING OFFICERS AND POLICE CARS COMING AND GOING FROM STN, AUDITOR FOR YOU TUBE

GROUP SAID THEY ARE AUDITING POLICE BUILDINGS AND HOW WE INTERACT WITH THEM.

MALE WAS TAKIMG PHOTOGRAPHS OF EXTERIOR OF POLIOCE STAION AND SECURITY

W/M HOLDING A CAMERA ON A SELFIE STICK. FILMING THE BUILDING AND STAFF AS THE ENTER / EXIT

BLACK MALE - O/S REAR GATES FILMING EVERYONE ENTERING & EXITING

SELF PROCLAIMED AUDITOR AND LIVESTREAMING ON YOU TUBE

POSSIBLE AUDITOR

ATTENDED THE STATION WEARING A BLACK BACKPACK A MICROPHONE AND RECORDING DEVICE. HE IS NOW OUTSIDE SETTING UP A DRONE

MAY HAVE AN AUDITOR IN THE CAR PARK OF STN FILMING

RP CALLED AND WAS VERY CASUAL TELLING ME HE WILL BE FLYING A DRONE OVER HQ IN 20 MINS AND TAKING PICTURES.

AT POL STN. AUDITORS WANTING TO TAKE PHOTOS OF BUILDING WORK AND FLY A DRONE.

MALE IS LIKELY TO BE AN AUDITOR AND AS SUCH HE IS LIKELY TO PRESS VARIOUS ISSUES TO GAIN A REACTION FROM POLICE OFFICERS.

POSS AUDITORS OUTSIDE FILMING

AUDITOR AT THE STATION