National Law Enforcement System
Encyclopedia
The National Law Enforcement System, better known as the Wanganui
Computer, was a database set up in 1976 by the State Services Commission
in Wanganui, New Zealand
. It held information which could be accessed by New Zealand Police
, Land Transport Safety Authority
and the justice department.
The Wanganui computer was a Sperry
mainframe
computer built to hold records such as criminal convictions and car and gun licences. At the time it was deemed ground-breaking, with Minister of Police Alan McCready describing it as "probably the most significant crime-fighting weapon ever brought to bear against lawlessness in this country".
Seen by many as a Big Brother initiative, the database was controversial, attracting numerous protests from libertarians with concerns over privacy. The most notable event was in 1982, when self-described anarchist punk Neil Roberts
, aged 22, detonated a home-made gelignite
bomb upon his person at the gates of the centre, making him New Zealand's highest-profile suicide bomber. The blast was large enough to be heard around Wanganui, and Roberts was killed instantly, being later identified by his unique chest tattoo bearing the words "This punk won't see 23. No future."
The centre survived this and other protests until the 1990s when the operation was transferred to Auckland
, although this new system has retained its Wanganui moniker. The original database, having lasted 30 years and growing increasingly outdated, was finally shut down in June 2005, with the responsibility being successfully handed over to Auckland at the National Intelligence Application.
Wanganui
Whanganui , also spelled Wanganui, is an urban area and district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Manawatu-Wanganui region....
Computer, was a database set up in 1976 by the State Services Commission
State Services Commission
The State Services Commission , formerly the Public Service Commission, is a central government agency within the New Zealand government. The current State Services Commissioner is Iain Rennie...
in Wanganui, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It held information which could be accessed by New Zealand Police
New Zealand Police
The New Zealand Police is the national police force of New Zealand, responsible for enforcing criminal law, enhancing public safety, maintaining order and keeping the peace throughout New Zealand...
, Land Transport Safety Authority
Land Transport New Zealand
Land Transport New Zealand was a Crown entity in New Zealand, tasked with promoting safe and functional transport by land, and includes responsibilities such as driver and vehicle licensing...
and the justice department.
The Wanganui computer was a Sperry
Sperry Corporation
Sperry Corporation was a major American equipment and electronics company whose existence spanned more than seven decades of the twentieth century...
mainframe
Mainframe computer
Mainframes are powerful computers used primarily by corporate and governmental organizations for critical applications, bulk data processing such as census, industry and consumer statistics, enterprise resource planning, and financial transaction processing.The term originally referred to the...
computer built to hold records such as criminal convictions and car and gun licences. At the time it was deemed ground-breaking, with Minister of Police Alan McCready describing it as "probably the most significant crime-fighting weapon ever brought to bear against lawlessness in this country".
Seen by many as a Big Brother initiative, the database was controversial, attracting numerous protests from libertarians with concerns over privacy. The most notable event was in 1982, when self-described anarchist punk Neil Roberts
Neil Roberts (anarchist)
On 18 November 1982, a suicide bomb attack was made against a facility housing the main computer database of the New Zealand Police in Wanganui. The attacker, a "punk rock" anarchist named Neil Roberts, was the only person killed, and the computer system was undamaged.Neil spraypainted a slogan...
, aged 22, detonated a home-made gelignite
Gelignite
Gelignite, also known as blasting gelatin or simply jelly, is an explosive material consisting of collodion-cotton dissolved in either nitroglycerine or nitroglycol and mixed with wood pulp and saltpetre .It was invented in 1875 by Alfred Nobel, who had earlier invented dynamite...
bomb upon his person at the gates of the centre, making him New Zealand's highest-profile suicide bomber. The blast was large enough to be heard around Wanganui, and Roberts was killed instantly, being later identified by his unique chest tattoo bearing the words "This punk won't see 23. No future."
The centre survived this and other protests until the 1990s when the operation was transferred to Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, although this new system has retained its Wanganui moniker. The original database, having lasted 30 years and growing increasingly outdated, was finally shut down in June 2005, with the responsibility being successfully handed over to Auckland at the National Intelligence Application.