FOI 16-2024 / Jan 2024 / Tool theft
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: FOI-16-2024
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 4th January 2024 as follows:
- For each of the following calendar years, please state how many instances of tool theft you have had reported in your region, broken down by month:
- 2022
- 2023
- For each of the following calendar years, please state how many instances of tool theft from vehicles you have had reported in your region, broken down by month:
- 2022
- 2023
Please find the Warwickshire Police response set out below.
Response: Please be advised that the requested information is not centrally recorded and is therefore not held in a readily retrievable format. There is no specific offence of theft of tools, and no flag or marker to easily identify whether this has formed part of a crime. Searches were undertaken for all theft offences, recorded in 2022 alone, where tools could have been stolen (excluding such offences of blackmail / making off / theft from store etc), this resulted in 10068 offences. Each would need to be reviewed on an individual basis to determine whether the theft related to tools. Further, with regard to tool theft from vehicles, during 2022 there were 2436 ‘Theft from a Vehicle’ offences recorded and, again, in order to determine which involved tool theft, it would be necessary to review each and every one on an individual basis. An estimate of the cost involved is set out below; however, this is for 2022 alone and since the request also asks for information for 2023, this estimate would be approximately double.
10068 theft offences in 2022 x 2 minutes per record = 20136 minutes/60 = 336 hours
2436 ‘Theft from a Vehicle’ offences in 2022 x 2 minutes per record = 4872 minutes/60 = 81 hours
Total estimate for 2022 alone = 417 hours
Therefore, the work required would exceed the amount 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 up to 18 hours of work on one request.
In accordance with s12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a Refusal Notice for this request.
In accordance with Section 16 of the Act I have a duty to provide advice and assistance; however, due to the number of records which would need to be individually reviewed, I am unable to suggest a way to reduce your request into one which could be managed within 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