FOI 138-2024 / Jan 2024 / Police drivers
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 138-2024
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 31st January 2024 as follows:
- The number of basic police drivers who between 1st January 2020 and 1st January 2024 who have been subject of misconduct matters regards using police emergency equipment, commonly referred to as V&A equipment, to stop vehicles when not authorised to do so. Specifically relating to stops only, not pursuits nor other misuse.
- The outcome of those matters listed in 1.
- The number of police drivers between 1st January 2020 and 1st January 2024 who, on duty have been reported for using a mobile device (incorporating mobile telephones) and the outcomes, i.e management advise, misconduct meeting/hearing and result.
- If available in relation to (3) the number of those uses for a policing purpose, for example using a police issued mobile device to conduct a PNC check whilst driving and again the outcome.
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.
Response: Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 places two duties on public authorities. Unless exemptions apply, the first duty at Section 1(1)(a) is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in a request is held. The second duty at Section 1(1)(b) is to disclose information that has been confirmed as being held.
Section 12(2) states: “…Subsection (1) does not exempt the public authority from its obligation to comply with paragraph (a) of section 1(1) unless the estimated cost of complying with that paragraph alone would exceed the appropriate limit.”
Please be advised that there is no specific identifier within the PSD system which would allow easy retrieval of the requested information, if held. In order to determine whether any information is held in relation to Q1 alone it would be necessary to review each and every misconduct case on an individual basis, of which there are 578 during the stated period. The business area has advised that this would take approximately 10 minutes per record which would equate to approximately 96 hours of work.
In accordance with Section 12(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please treat this letter as the Refusal Notice I am required to provide to you in respect of your request.
In accordance with Section 16 of the Act, I have a duty to provide advice and assistance in relation to refining your request where possible. However, due to the volume of records involved, I am unable to suggest a way to revise your request into one which could be undertaken within the fees limit. With regard to Q3 and Q4, this element would require similar checks and would therefore also exceed the fees limit.
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