FOI 1121-2023 / Dec 2023 / Livestock worrying
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 1121-2023
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 12th December 2023 as follows:
- Number of Livestock Worrying reports between 1st July 2022 to 30th June 2023 broken down month by month.
- Number of Livestock Worrying reports that specifically relate to Sheep between 1st July 2022 to 30th June 2023 broken down month by month.
- Number of offences which relate to A) No Injury Caused B) Injury/Damage Caused C) Death
- Number of positive outcomes between 1st July 2022 to 30th June 2023 broken down month by month to include A) Court Disposal B) Community Resolution C) Caution D) Dog Behaviour Contract or E) Other Disposal
Please accept my sincere apologies for the delay in providing the response to your request and for any inconvenience this may have caused you. Please find the Warwickshire Police response set out below.
When reviewing the information please note that it was obtained by searching for all offences with under Home Officer Code 111/05 – Dogs Worrying Livestock on Agricultural Land, recorded during the period 1st July 2022 and 30th June 2023.
Q1 response:
|
Total Livestock Worrying Offences |
|
|
Year and Month |
Total |
|
2022 |
7 |
|
September |
3 |
|
October |
3 |
|
December |
1 |
|
2023 |
12 |
|
January |
1 |
|
February |
6 |
|
March |
2 |
|
April |
2 |
|
May |
1 |
|
Grand Total |
19 |
Q2 response:
|
Livestock Worrying Offences involving sheep |
|
|
Year and Month |
Total |
|
2022 |
6 |
|
September |
3 |
|
October |
3 |
|
2023 |
6 |
|
February |
4 |
|
March |
1 |
|
April |
1 |
|
Grand Total |
12 |
Q3 response:
|
Livestock Worrying Offences: Injury Types |
|
|
Injury Type |
Total |
|
Death |
6 |
|
Injury |
9 |
|
No injury |
2 |
|
Stress |
2 |
|
Grand Total |
19 |
Q4 response: I can advise that the requested information is held; however, not all is suitable for disclosure in the format requested. Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires Warwickshire Police, when refusing to provide such information (because the information is exempt) to provide you the applicant with a notice which:
(a) states that fact,
(b) specifies the exemption in question and
(c) states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.
The exemption applicable in this case is:
Section 40(2) Personal Information
Section 40 is an absolute class based exemption, which does not require evidence of the harm disclosure would cause and does not require consideration of a public interest test. That being said, where Section 40(2) is engaged, in order to make the exemption absolute there needs to be evidence that a Data Protection Principle would be breached by disclosure.
This exemption is engaged where disclosure of information relates to personal data of a third party or could lead to the identification of an individual, either from that information alone or combined with any other information from within the Police Service or public domain. In this case, due to low numbers of offences per month (in some months only one), providing the outcomes by month will allow a direct correlation with a specific offence and is therefore likely to provide information in relation to an individual. Such a disclosure would breach individuals’ rights under the Data Protection Act 2018, in particular Article 5(1) of the GDPR which states that personal data shall be processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner in relation to the data subject.
This letter serves as a refusal notice under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act in relation to outcomes broken down by month. Instead this has been provided across the entire period, as set out below.
|
Livestock Worrying Offences |
|
|
Outcome Type |
Total |
|
Type 1 - Charged/Summonsed/Postal Requisition |
1 |
|
Type 3 - Caution Adult |
1 |
|
Type 8 - Community resolution (Crime) |
6 |
|
Type 15 - Named Suspect Identified: Victim Supports Police Action But Evidential Difficulties Prevent Further Action |
2 |
|
Type 16 - Named Suspect Identified: Evidential Difficulties Prevent Further Action: Victim Does Not Support (Or Has Withdrawn Support From) Police Action |
2 |
|
Type 18 - Investigation Complete; No Suspect Identified. Crime Investigated As Far As Reasonably Possible-Case Closed Pending Further Investigative Opportunities Becoming Available |
6 |
|
Type 22 - Diversionary, educational or intervention activity, resulting from the crime report, has been undertaken and it is not in the public interest to take any further action. |
1 |
|
Grand Total |
19 |
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is as accurate as possible.
Your attention is drawn to the below which details your right of complaint.
Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please write or email the Freedom of Information Unit quoting the reference number above.
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information Officer
Freedom of Information Unit
Warwickshire Police
PO Box 4
Leek Wootton
Warwickshire
CV35 7QB