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FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 679-2023
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 18th July 2023 as follows:
Q1. Please can you provide the total number of spiking allegations received by your force in the following calendar years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Q2. Please confirm how many of the allegations listed in your response to question 1 led to an arrest and/or charge.
Q3. Please provide a brief description of each allegation listed in your response to question 1.
Note: Please include all drink and/or needle spiking allegations in your response.
Please find the Warwickshire Police response set out below.
Response: Please be advised that there is no specific offence of ‘spiking’, and no flag or marker within the crime recording system to easily identify when this is relevant to an offence. In order to attempt to accurately determine the number of offences where this could be a factor, it would be necessary to individually examine all crimes recorded during the stated period. This would take an inordinate amount of time, which would undoubtedly exceed the limit to which we are legally required to respond, i.e., the cost of locating and retrieving the information exceeds the ‘appropriate level’, as stated in the Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004. For Police forces in the UK, the "appropriate limit" is considered to be up to 18 hours of work on one request.
In accordance with section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter is a Refusal Notice for this request.
In order to provide assistance, the business area has conducted a keyword search for all offences, recorded between 1st January 2019 and 30th June 2023, where the words ‘spike’, ‘spiked’ or ‘spiking’, appear within the MO Description. The resulting records have been reviewed to check for relevance, and to remove false positives, such as ‘spiked hair’ etc. As a gesture of goodwill, responses to Q1, Q2 and Q3 have been provided below using this keyword data. However, it is important to note that, in the event there are relevant offences recorded, but where the keywords are not present within the MO description, then these will not have been returned within the search. For this reason, information retrieved by way of a keyword search cannot be assumed to be entirely accurate.
Q1 response:
Crime MOs containing keywords Spike, Spiked, Spiking |
|
Year |
Total |
2019 |
8 |
2020 |
7 |
2021 |
38 |
2022 |
46 |
2023 (up to 30/06/2023) |
15 |
Grand Total |
114 |
Q2 response: Regarding the investigations that have been finalised, none were filed as Charged/Summons and 2 investigations led to arrests.
Q3 response:
Description |
Allegation individual spiked someone’s drink |
Allegation of spiking of a drink |
Complainant believed they have been spiked |
Complainant believes they may have been spiked or injected by a substance whilst out drinking |
Complainant believes that they have been spiked by unknown suspect |
Complainant believes their drink was spiked |
Complainant has found a needle puncture and suspects they have been spiked |
Complainant alleges suspect offended after spiking their drink |
Complainant alleges that suspect has put tablets in to their drink |
Complainant alleges that suspect spiked their drink |
Complainant alleges that their drink was spiked |
Complainant alleges that their drink was spiked |
Complainant alleges they have had their drink spiked |
Complainant believed individual had spiked their drink |
Complainant believed their drink was spike |
Complainant believed they had been spiked |
Complainant believed they may have been spiked whilst out drinking |
Complainant believed they were spiked |
Complainant believes drink has been spiked |
Complainant believes drink may have been spiked |
Complainant believes drink was spiked by an unknown person |
Complainant believes someone may have spiked their drink |
Complainant believes someone spiked their drink |
Complainant believes someone spiked them with a needle |
Complainant believes that one of their drinks may have been spiked |
Complainant believes that their drink has been spiked |
Complainant believes that they had their drink spiked |
Complainant believes that they were spiked |
Complainant believes that they were spiked |
Complainant believes that they were spiked |
Complainant believes that they were spiked whilst on a night out |
Complainant believes the food was spiked |
Complainant believes their drink may have been spiked |
Complainant believes their drink may have been spiked |
Complainant believes their drink may have been spiked |
Complainant believes their drink was spiked |
Complainant believes their drink was spiked |
Complainant believes their drink was spiked |
Complainant believes their drink was spiked |
Complainant believes their drink was spiked |
Complainant believes they have been spiked |
Complainant believes they have been spiked |
Complainant believes they have been spiked |
Complainant believes they have been spiked |
Complainant believes they have been spiked |
Complainant believes they have been spiked |
Complainant believes they have been spiked |
Complainant believes they have been spiked |
Complainant believes they have been spiked after a night out |
Complainant believes they have been spiked by injection |
Complainant believes they have been spiked by needle |
Complainant believes they have been spiked during a night out |
Complainant believes they have been spiked whilst at nightclub |
Complainant believes they have had a drink spiked |
Complainant believes they have had drink spiked |
Complainant believes they may have been spiked by unknown means. |
Complainant believes they may have been spiked whilst out drinking |
Complainant believes they were injected in a potential spiking incident |
Complainant believes they were spiked |
Complainant believes they were spiked by an unknown substance |
Complainant believes they were spiked in nightclub |
Complainant convinced that their drink was spiked |
Complainant did not know whether they had been spiked |
Complainant did not know whether they had been spiked |
Complainant disclosed that they were spiked |
Complainant feels as though they have been spiked |
Complainant felt a needle spike |
Complainant has been drinking and believe they have been spikes |
Complainant has been given a drink which they believe was spiked |
Complainant has been given a drink which they believe was spiked |
Complainant has been given a drink which they believe was spiked |
Complainant has reported that they have possibly been spike |
Complainant has wound and believes it is from someone spiking them |
Complainant may have had their drink spiked |
Complainant reported being spiked via a needle |
Complainant reported that they have had their drink spiked |
Complainant reported that they thought their drink was spiked |
Complainant reported they had been spiked via a needle |
Complainant reporting a potential spiking incident by needle |
Complainant reports alleged needle spiking |
Complainant reports that they have been spiked after having drinks |
Complainant reports they have been spiked whilst out drinking |
Complainant reports they have been spiked whilst out drinking |
Complainant states their drink was spiked |
Complainant states their drink was spiked |
Complainant suspects their drink has been spiked |
Complainant suspects they have been spiked by means of a substance being put in drink. |
Complainant suspects they may have been spiked |
Complainant thinks they have been spiked |
Complainant thinks they may have been spiked |
Complainant thought that their drink had been spiked |
Complainant thought their drink may have been spiked |
Complainant thought they had been spiked |
Complainant thought they may have been spiked |
Complainant was concerned that drink had been spiked |
Complainant's drink may have been spiked |
Complainant suspects someone had spiked their drink |
Drink has been spiked according to complainant |
Spiking - complainant became unwell after drinks |
Spiking - complainant has felt a sharp pain |
Suspect has allegedly put something in complainant's drink |
Suspect has allegedly spiked complainant's drink |
Suspect has allegedly spiked complainant's drink |
Suspect has allegedly spiked the alcohol that the complainant was drinking |
Suspect has allegedly spiked the alcohol that the complainant was drinking |
Suspect has allegedly spiked the drink of the complainant |
Third part has reported that complainant believes they have been spiked |
Third parties believed complainant had been spiked due to the recent rise in spiking |
Third party concerned complainant has been spiked |
Third party has reported that complainant was spiked |
Third party reported a suspected drink spiking |
Third party reported individual had been spiked |
Third party reported that complainant may have been spiked |
Third party reported that complainant may have been spiked |
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