Quickly exit this site by pressing the Escape key Leave this site
We use some essential cookies to make our website work. We’d like to set additional cookies so we can remember your preferences and understand how you use our site.
You can manage your preferences and cookie settings at any time by clicking on “Customise Cookies” below. For more information on how we use cookies, please see our Cookies notice.
Your cookie preferences have been saved. You can update your cookie settings at any time on the cookies page.
Your cookie preferences have been saved. You can update your cookie settings at any time on the cookies page.
Sorry, there was a technical problem. Please try again.
This site is a beta, which means it's a work in progress and we'll be adding more to it over the next few weeks. Your feedback helps us make things better, so please let us know what you think.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 1043-2024
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 26th November 2024, and clarification received on 3rd December 2024 as follows:
Please provide information on the total number of thefts of catalytic converters from motor vehicles recorded between 1st January 2019 (inclusive) and 31st December 2023 (inclusive) in your force area. Please also provide a breakdown of the number of catalytic converter thefts in each year (excluding 2020) during this time period.
Please also provide a breakdown of the number of thefts of catalytic converters from motor vehicles split by make and model of the vehicle within each year during this time period.
Please also provide a breakdown of the number of thefts of catalytic converters from motor vehicles split by the city/town they were stolen from within each year during this time period.
On 27th November we contacted you for clarification as follows:
Regarding Q1, please be advised that the requested information is not centrally recorded and is therefore not available in a readily retrievable format. There is no specific offence for theft of Catalytic Converter and no marker or identifier for this either, therefore, in order to determine an accurate response to this request, it would be necessary to examine all offences of ‘theft from vehicle’ and ‘interfering or tampering with a motor vehicle’, recorded in the specified period, on an individual basis, to ascertain whether any involved the theft of a catalytic converter. Such searches would take an inordinate amount of time and would exceed the fees limit resulting in your whole request being refused.
Further, I can advise that keyword searches are not carried out routinely as they are not reliable. They will only bring back records where the chosen keyword(s) is present within the MO Description / Incident Summary of an investigation. These are limited free text fields and, in the event that one of the stated keywords is relevant to a crime, but where it has not been mentioned within those fields, then such records will not have been returned.
Although the limitations of a keyword search have been set out above, please advise if you wish us to proceed with your request by searching for all offences classified as the following Home Office Notifiable Crimes:
Where the keyword ‘Catalytic’ appears in the MO Description / Incident Summary of an investigation.
Please advise how you wish to proceed.
Additionally, please be advised that regarding your request for a split by make and model of the vehicle, I can advise that the only method to obtain this would be via a manual search. Even with a keyword search for ‘Catalytic’ to identify specific crimes with this element in the MO, the time required to then manually review these for the make and model of the vehicle would exceed the fees limit. In order to avoid the whole request being refused under fees, you may wish to consider removing this element of the request. Please advise.
Finally, regarding your request for a split by city/town, I can advise that we may be able to provide a split by Local Authority areas as follows: Warwick, Rugby, Stratford-upon-Avon, Nuneaton and Bedworth, and North Warwickshire. Please advise if you require this.
On 2nd December 2024 we received the following clarification:
I'm happy for you to proceed with the request using a keyword search, and will keep in mind the limitations mentioned when looking over the results.
I'm also happy for make and model of the vehicle to be removed to avoid the whole request being refused. However, I would like to receive the split by the Local Authority areas mentioned (Warwick, Rugby, Stratford-upon-Avon, Nuneaton and Bedworth, and North Warwickshire) if this is possible.
On 3rd December 2024 we contacted you further as follows:
Please confirm that you are now happy to proceed with the below revised FOI request:
Please provide the total number of thefts of catalytic converters from motor vehicles recorded between 1st January 2019 (inclusive) and 31st December 2023 (inclusive) in your force area, broken down by each calendar year in this period. Please also break the results down by the Local Authority Area (i.e. Warwick, Rugby, Stratford-upon-Avon, Nuneaton and Bedworth, and North Warwickshire) from which they were stolen for each calendar year during this period.
I am aware that there is no specific offence or identifier on the crime recording system in relation to theft of catalytic converters, therefore, to provide a response to this request, please search for all vehicle offences where the keyword 'Catalytic' appears in the MO Description or Incident Summary of an investigation and review the results for relevance.
On 3rd December you provided the following response:
Yes, I can confirm that I am happy to proceed with the revised FOI request that you have proposed, as below:
Please provide the total number of thefts of catalytic converters from motor vehicles recorded between 1st January 2019 (inclusive) and 31st December 2023 (inclusive) in your force area, broken down by each calendar year in this period. Please also break the results down by the Local Authority Area (i.e. Warwick, Rugby, Stratford-upon-Avon, Nuneaton and Bedworth, and North Warwickshire) from which they were stolen for each calendar year during this period.
Please find the Warwickshire Police response set out below. When reviewing the response please note the following:
Response:
Policing District |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
Total |
North Warwickshire |
10 |
40 |
39 |
26 |
8 |
123 |
Nuneaton & Bedworth |
14 |
50 |
34 |
44 |
15 |
157 |
Rugby |
34 |
26 |
50 |
67 |
11 |
188 |
Stratford-Upon-Avon |
9 |
27 |
38 |
63 |
25 |
162 |
Warwick |
36 |
40 |
12 |
61 |
7 |
156 |
Grand Total |
103 |
183 |
173 |
261 |
66 |
786 |
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