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FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: FOI-101-2024
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 24th January 2024 as follows:
1) Please can you state for theft offences recorded by your force, the number in which the crime report text (described as modus operandi reports by many forces) contains a mention of ""handbag"" in each of the following calendar years:
iii) 2021
2) Please can you provide a redacted copy of the free text crime reports for these offences recorded by your force between October and December 2023.
Please accept my sincere apologies for the delay in providing the response to your request and for any inconvenience that this may have caused you. Please find the Warwickshire Police response set out below.
Q1 response: Searches were conducted for all theft offences, recorded during the stated periods, where the keyword ‘handbag’ and/or ‘hand *space* bag’ are present within the MO Description / Incident Summary. The resulting records are set out below. However, when reviewing the information, please note the following:
Year |
Total |
2019 |
461 |
2020 |
228 |
2021 |
171 |
2022 |
187 |
2023 |
233 |
Grand Total |
1280 |
Q2 response: 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, providing copies of the MO Descriptions / Incident Summaries, even in a redacted format, is likely to lead to the identification of 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 information being provided in a redacted format.
Information I am able to provide is set out below and is based on a summary of the text fields. Please note that this has been provided in alphabetical order and not date order.
Summary |
IP BELIEVES THAT EITHER THEIR HANDBAG WAS PICKED OR THEY LOST THEIR PURSE |
IP LOST THEIR HANDBAG AND TRACKED TO A LOCATION - BELIEVED TAKEN |
OFFENDER HAS STOLEN THE VICTIM'S HANDBAG IN A STORE. |
OFFENDER UNKNOWN HAS ENTERED STORE AND PLACED ITEMS IN A HANDBAG - LEFT WITHOUT PAYMENT. |
OFFENDER(S) BROKEN IN AND ITEMS TAKEN FROM PROPERTY INCLUDING HANDBAGS |
OFFENDER(S) BROKEN IN AND ITEMS TAKEN FROM PROPERTY INCLUDING HANDBAGS |
OFFENDER(S) GAINED ENTRY TO THE PROPERTY AND A NUMBER OF ITEMS HAVE BEEN TAKEN INCLUDING HANDBAGS |
OFFENDER(S) UNKNOWN STOLE CASH FROM INSIDE A PURSE THAT WAS IN A HANDBAG |
PERSON(S) UNKNOWN ENTERED PRIVATE SECURE ROOM AND TOOK ITEMS INCUDING A HANDBAG |
PERSON(S) UNKNOWN HAVE BY MEANS UNKNOWN REMOVED AND TAKEN A PURSE FROM HANDBAG ON THE VICTIMS’ PERSON |
PERSON(S) U/K WENT INTO THE STORE AND PLACED ITEM INTO THEIR HANDBAG |
REPORTING BELIEVES THAT SOMEBODY HAS REMOVED PURSE FROM HANDBAG. |
REPORTING ITEMS HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM A PROPERTY INCLUDING A HANDBAG |
REPORTING THEFT OF ITEMS FROM A HANDBAG |
SUSPECT HAS ENTERED STORE AND TAKEN TWO ITEMS AND PUT THEM IN THEIR HANDBAG AND LEFT WITH NO PAYMENT. |
SUSPECT WAS SEEN IN STORE TAKING ITEMS AND PUTTING THEM INTO A HAND BAG AND ATTEMPTED TO LEAVE STORE |
SUSPECT(S) HAS TAKEN A CARD FROM THE VICTIM'S PURSE THAT WAS IN THEIR HANDBAG. |
SUSPECT(S) UNKNOWN GAINED ENTRY AND HAVE TAKEN ITEMS FROM PROPERTY INCLUDING HANDBAGS |
SUSPECTS ENTER THE STORE, SELECT ITEMS INCLUDING HANDBAGS AND LEFT WITHOUT PAYMENT |
SUSPECTS HAVE BROKEN INTO PROPERTY AND TAKEN ITEMS INCLUDING HANDBAGS |
SUSPECTS HAVE TAKEN HANDBAGS FROM VICTIM'S VEHICLE |
U/K OFFENDER HAS REMOVED THE VICTIM'S HANDBAG FROM THEM AND STOLEN IT. |
U/K OFFENDER HAS STOLEN THE VICTIM'S PURSE FROM THEIR HANDBAG |
U/K OFFENDER HAS TAKEN CAR KEYS FROM THE VICTIM'S HANDBAG |
U/K PERSON HAS ENTERED THE STORE AND EXITS WITH ITEMS INCLUDING A HANDBAG |
U/K PERSON HAS ENTERED THE STORE AND EXITS WITH ITEMS INCLUDING A HANDBAG - NO PAYMENT |
UNKNOWN OFFENDER ENTERED STORE AND TOOK TWO HANDBAGS |
UNKNOWN OFFENDER HAS REMOVED A HANDBAG FROM A TROLLEY IN A STORE. |
UNKNOWN OFFENDER HAS REMOVED THE VICTIM'S HANDBAG FROM AREA SEATED AT |
UNKNOWN OFFENDER HAS STOLEN VARIOUS ITEMS BY REMOVING THEM FROM VICTIM'S HANDBAG ON THEIR PERSON. |
UNKNOWN OFFENDER STOLEN A PURSE OUT OF A HANDBAG |
UNKNOWN OFFENDER(S) STOLE IP'S PURSE FROM THEIR HANDBAG |
UNKNOWN OFFENDERS ENTERED STORE AND PLACED ITEMS IN A HANDBAG AND LEFT STORE WITHOUT PAYING |
UNKNOWN OFFENDERS HAVE ENTERED AND TAKEN ITEMS FROM A HANDBAG AT THE PROPERTY. |
UNKNOWN OFFENDERS STOLE HANDBAG BY DISTRACTING VICTIM |
UNKNOWN PERSON DISTRACTED VICTIM WHILST ANOTHER PERSON/S UNKNOWN REMOVED ITEMS FROM THEIR HANDBAG. |
UNKNOWN PERSON HAS STOLEN A MOBILE PHONE FROM HANDBAG |
UNKNOWN PERSON(S) HAVE TAKEN IP'S HANDBAG FROM VEHICLE |
UNKNOWN PERSONS TAKEN ITEMS FROM CAR INCLUDING HANDBAG |
UNKNOWN SUSPECT HAS PICKED UP A HANDBAG BELONGING TO THE IP AND LEFT THE SCENE |
UNKNOWN SUSPECT(S) HAVE APPROACHED VICTIM AND REMOVED PURSE FROM THEIR HANDBAG UNDETECTED. |
UPON RETURNING HOME IP REALISED THEY HAD LEFT THEIR HANDBAG AT THE STORE BUT WHEN RETURNED COULD NOT LOCATE THE BAG -BELIEVED STOLEN. |
VICTIM HAD THEIR PHONE TAKEN FROM THEIR HANDBAG WHICH WAS ON A TABLE |
VICTIM HAS BEEN SHOPPING AND PERSON(S) UNKNOWN HAVE REMOVED THEIR MOBILE PHONE FROM INSIDE THEIR HANDBAG. |
VICTIM HAS HAD THEIR HANDBAG STOLEN WHILST SHOPPING |
VICTIM PLACED HANDBAG ON SIDE AND MOVED AWAY FOR A SHORT TIME AND WHEN RETURNED THE HANDBAG HAD GONE. |
VICTIM REPORTING HANDBAG MISSING FROM THE PROPERTY |
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