"Under investigation by the police": what does it mean?

[Saracen]

I am helping a friend draft a letter and want to make sure I am accurate. She has been harrassed by a man. The police have said they will go talk to him about his actions and ask him why he is still carrying on. No legal action has yet been taken against him.

He has been seeking personal information about her and she wants to ensure that the agencies he is approaching don't provide it to him. That's what the letter is about. (Of course they shouldn't provide information anyway, but he is persuasive and has succeeded in obtaining personal information about her in the past.)

Would it be correct of me to say that he is under investigation by the police for harrassment? Or does "under investigation" have a more specific meaning?

If that isn't the right phrase, can anyone suggest a different phrase which makes it clear that the police are involved?

You don't need to say that the Police are involved. Your friend can just say that under the terms of the Data Protection Act (1998) she does not permit the release of any information whatsoever about her to this man.

To fortyplus's suggestion I would add, "Any breach of this may lead to legal proceedings."

Just to focus their minds, given he has been successful in the past.

She could say that she has 'reported the matter to the police', you don't know what the police are doing with the allegation, it could be under investigation or sitting in a heap with other stuff, so stick to the facts

As has been stated the Data Protection Act is there for reason, and all staff in these companies should be aware of it although from what you say some information has got out, so a polite reminder pointing this out as stated above could assist as well.

Many thanks for your helpful ideas! I think I will go with "the police are involved" and mention the Data Protection Act to focus their minds, as you say!

Cheers!