THE POLICE-OPERATED CRO IS THE LARGEST REPOSITORY OF CRIME DATA IN NEW SOUTH WALES. IT ALSO SERVES AS A CLEARINGHOUSE FOR CRIMINAL RECORDS THROUGHOUT AUSTRALIA. POLICE FORCES IN ALL STATES SHARE THE COSTS OF OPERATING THE CRO, AND PRINCIPLES GUIDING CRO HANDLING OF COMMONWEALTH DATA AND DATA FOR STATES OTHER THAN NEW SOUTH WALES ARE ESTABLISHED BY CONFERENCES OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS. CRO RECORDS COVER ALL CHARGES AND COURT APPEARANCES FOR ADULTS AND JUVENILES, INDEXED BY THE OFFENDER'S NAME, ALIASES, AND FINGERPRINTS. THE PRIVACY COMMITTEE'S REPORT IS THE THIRD IN A SERIES CONCERNED WITH PRIVACY-RELATED ISSUES IN THE HANDLING OF CRIMINAL RECORDS IN AUSTRALIA. THE REPORT INCLUDES A GENERAL OUTLINE OF CRO FUNCTIONS, PLUS DETAILS OF PRACTICES RELATING TO DATA COLLECTION, FINGERPRINTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS, DATA SECURITY, ACCESS TO DATA, RETENTION OF DATA (CULLING AND DELETION), COMPUTERIZATION, AND THE CRO'S JUVENILE SHOPLIFTERS' INDEX. THROUGHOUT THE REPORTS, PRIVACY-RELATED PROBLEMS ARE IDENTIFIED, AND PROPOSALS FOR ADDRESSING THE PROBLEMS ARE SET FORTH. COPIES OF CRO FORMS AND RECORDS ARE APPENDED. (LKM)