FOI 514-2023 / May 2023 / Record keeping systems & missing evidence
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 514-2023
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 17th May 2023 as follows:
Q1. What is the name of the record-keeping system you currently operate in relation to digital and physical material and evidence gathered and stored by your force during a police investigation?[1] If you have used a different or additional system since 2018, please provide the name also of that system.
Q2. For each of the years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 (and as far as you are able for 2023) how many pieces of evidence went missing from your force? Of those pieces missing, where possible, please provide a breakdown by crime type eg. homicide, burglary, drug offences etc
Q3. For each of the same years in question 2, how many cases could not proceed to trial due to missing or contaminated evidence? Again, please provide this answer by crime type.
Please find the Warwickshire Police response set out below.
Response: Please be advised that some of the requested information is not centrally recorded and is therefore not held in a readily retrievable format. Regarding Q2 and Q3, in order to attempt to determine the number of exhibits that have been recorded as missing during the stated period, along with a breakdown of crime type, and number of cases that could not proceed, it would be necessary to examine each and every investigation on an individual basis. Such searches would of course take an inordinate amount of time and would exceed the cost threshold (£450) which equates to 18 hours work at a standard rate of £25 per hour, as stated in the Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004.
In accordance with Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter is a Refusal Notice for this part of the request, and, if one part of a request exceeds the fees limit, then Section 12 of the Act applies to the whole request.
In accordance with Section 16 of the Act, I have a duty to provide advice and assistance in relation to refining your request; however, due to the number of records that would need to be individually examined, I am unable to suggest a way to revise these parts of the request into ones that could be managed within the fees limit. I can however advise that it may be possible to provide some information in relation to Q1, should you wish to revise and resubmit your request.
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