Brussels, 19/09/2006 (Agence Europe) - Compliance with the law on privacy allows crime to be fought more effectively, said Peter Hustinx, European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) in Brussels on Monday. “Good data protection actually goes hand in hand with legitimate crime fighting because it increases the quality of data bases and at the same time makes sure that only the right people can access them”, Hustinx told the press when presenting a report on his activities. In his view, some repressive practices would not be legally possible if data protection did not allow certain rules to be respected. The current legislation also allows police forces to verify suspect phone numbers found in a computer, he noted, saying that “it is a misconception that protection of privacy and personal data holds back the fight against terrorism and organised crime”.