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Scotland's Police Lose Data Because of Programmer's Error

Posted by samzenpus on from the who's-to-blame dept.

Anne Thwacks writes Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Mawson told the [Scottish Police Authority] committee that a total of 20,086 records had been lost because a computer programmer pressed the wrong button between May and July last year. He added: "....they had been properly put on the system by the officers as a result of stopping and searching people, but we lost the outcome of it as a computer programming error. We have been working really hard to recover that data. I have personally overseen the sending out of several thousand emails to officers and follow-up audits. We have been working hard with HMICS to oversee everything that we do, to make sure it is done properly and I am pleased to say that the vast majority of that data, those results, are now back on the system."

10 of 108 comments (clear)

  1. What if? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    What if there was people powerful enough (politicians, ...) to clean their record? No, no, cannot be, complot theory. They surely don't have any functional backup. I am a believer my overlord.

    1. Re:What if? by u38cg · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Stop and search just doesn't happen to rich people. Stop, maybe, but certainly not search.

      --
      [FUCK BETA]
  2. Software testing ... what a novel concept by Bomarc · · Score: 4, Insightful

    At least this article admits to a level of "programmer error". However --- like most "computer error" news articles, this one misses a key point: This (like many others) is actually management error. Management failed to oversee programmers. Management failed implement test. Management failed.
    I just wonder how much longer before software testing will get the respect it deserves.

  3. 'Programmer' working with live data? by hazeii · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Very convenient, and of course we all know programmers develop their code on the only copy of a live database (of which there are no backups)...

    --
    All your ghosts are just false positives.
  4. Phrasing? by GrandCow · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "Programmer error" != some idiot pressing the wrong button.

    If you want powerful software, you get powerful results. You also get powerful fuck-ups. Don't blame the person who coded it, blame the idiot who clicked through 4 different "are you REALLY SURE you want to do this" warnings.

    --
    "Well kids, you tried your best, and you failed. The lesson is, never try." -Homer Simpson
    1. Re:Phrasing? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Or you can blame the designer that designed a system where it's possible for a normal user of the system to bulk delete an entire swath of the database while working on a single record, and without having an audit trail record that allows point-in-time recovery from backups without any data loss.

  5. Heads will roll? by Bruce66423 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    In your dreams. They've got plausible deniability. It would be good to come back in five years and watch the career paths of those involved, especially this 'programmer'.

    1. Re:Heads will roll? by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You would expect organisations like these to be held to a higher level accountability than us mere mortals, but sadly that is often not the case. Try tell an Internal Revenue inspector: "I am sorry but I have lost those records of my offshore savings account due to pressing a wrong button" and see what answer you get. Hell, as a kid I never got away with "the dog ate my homework". Yet what consequences will follow from losing hundreds of important police records during an investigation into police conduct?

      If any one person, under orders, acting on their own initiative or simply making a mistake, is capable of irrevocably wiping important records like these, then there is something seriously wrong with your organisation. Someone is responsible for managing IT and keeping information/records at the police, start with them.

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
  6. Sackings and investigation required. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Seriously, what kind of system can't recover from a backup? Why can't this system? What idiot allowed the situation to arise where backups can't be restored?

  7. Re:And those guys want easier access to private da by aaaaaaargh! · · Score: 3, Insightful

    What's even more sad is that he has most definitely not "personally overseen the sending out of several thousand emails". At best, he has sent some memo around that said something like this: "Send out emails now! That's an order! Yours sincerely, your boss. P.S.: Fuck you!"