FOI 426-2025 / Apr 2025 / Public decency
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 426-2025
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 10th April 2025 as follows:
In the event that you were you withdraw those elements it may be possible to provide the following for the entire period requested:
From 1st January 2022 to the present date
Q1. A breakdown of offences of 066/21 Committing or conspiring to commit an act outraging public decency and 088/09 Exposure, broken down by specified time period (eg year, month (please note that specific date is likely to attract and exemption under s40(2) Personal Information as it would be likely to identify and individual)).
Q2. A breakdown of the above offences by policing area.
Q3. The outcome of the above investigations.
Q4. The number of arrests made in relation to the above investigations.
Please find the Warwickshire Police response set out below.
The numerical data presented below is an unaudited snapshot of unpublished data sourced from "live" systems and is subject to the interpretation of the original request by the individual extracting the data.
Q1 response: Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 places two duties on public authorities. Unless exemptions apply, the first duty at Section1(1)(a) is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in a request is held. The second duty at Section1(1)(b) is to disclose information that has been confirmed as being held.
When refusing to provide such information, because the information is exempt, Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires Warwickshire Police to provide 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.
I can advise that the requested information is held; however, the information is not suitable for disclosure in a monthly breakdown.
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, due to very low and even single numbers for some months, providing the crime breakdown by month is likely to lead to the identification of an individual(s). 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 for a yearly breakdown. Please find the information I am able to provide set out below, broken down by year.
When reviewing the information below please note that it was obtained by searching the Crime Recording System for all crimes recorded between 1st January 2022 and 10th April 2025, with the classification codes of:
- 066/21 - Committing or conspiring to commit an act outraging public decency
- 088/09 – Exposure
|
Crimes recorded per year |
|||||
|
Offence Title |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
Total |
|
066/21 - Committing or conspiring to commit, an act outraging public decency |
51 |
51 |
54 |
15 |
171 |
|
088/09 - Exposure |
70 |
75 |
56 |
13 |
214 |
|
Grand Total |
121 |
126 |
110 |
28 |
385 |
Q2 response:
|
By policing area |
|||||
|
066/21 - Committing or conspiring to commit, an act outraging public decency |
|||||
|
Policing Area |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2024 |
Total |
|
North Warwickshire |
6 |
2 |
6 |
3 |
17 |
|
Nuneaton & Bedworth |
12 |
10 |
11 |
3 |
36 |
|
Rugby |
6 |
10 |
10 |
2 |
28 |
|
Stratford-Upon-Avon |
13 |
6 |
10 |
1 |
30 |
|
Warwick |
14 |
23 |
17 |
6 |
60 |
|
Grand Total |
51 |
51 |
54 |
15 |
171 |
|
By policing area |
|||||
|
088/09 - Exposure |
|||||
|
Policing Area |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2024 |
Total |
|
North Warwickshire |
3 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
9 |
|
Nuneaton & Bedworth |
15 |
17 |
13 |
3 |
48 |
|
Rugby |
14 |
16 |
8 |
3 |
41 |
|
Stratford-Upon-Avon |
17 |
18 |
13 |
2 |
50 |
|
Warwick |
21 |
20 |
20 |
4 |
65 |
|
Other |
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
Grand Total |
70 |
75 |
56 |
13 |
214 |
Q3 response: Please note that crime outcomes will only reflect the most serious outcome for any suspect attached to a crime, i.e, where there are multiple suspects attached to an investigation, the outcome would not take into account ‘lesser’ or ‘like’ outcomes of any other suspect(s).
|
Crime outcomes |
|||||
|
066/21 - Committing or conspiring to commit, an act outraging public decency |
|||||
|
Outcome Type |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2024 |
Total |
|
Type 1 - Charged/Summonsed/Postal Requisition |
3 |
7 |
8 |
1 |
19 |
|
Type 1A - Charged/Summons - alternate offence. Offender has been charged under the alternate offence rule. |
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
Type 3 - Caution Adult |
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
Adult Caution - conditional |
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
Type 10 - Formal Action Against Offender is not in the Public Interest (Police) |
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
Type 12 - Prosecution Prevented-Named Suspect Identified But Is Too Ill (Physical Or Mental Health) To Prosecute, or confirmed died either before crime reported or before enough evidence to charge |
1 |
1 |
4 |
|
6 |
|
Type 14 - Evidential Difficulties Victim Based- Suspect Not Identified: Crime Confirmed But The Victim Either Declines Or Unable To Support Further Police Investigation To Identify The Offender |
9 |
4 |
1 |
|
14 |
|
Type 15 - Named Suspect Identified: Victim Supports Police Action But Evidential Difficulties Prevent Further Action |
14 |
14 |
11 |
1 |
40 |
|
Type 16 - Named Suspect Identified: Evidential Difficulties Prevent Further Action: Victim Does Not Support (Or Has Withdrawn Support From) Police Action |
5 |
7 |
3 |
|
15 |
|
Type 18 - Investigation Complete; No Suspect Identified. Crime Investigated As Far As Reasonably Possible-Case Closed Pending Further Investigative Opportunities Becoming Available |
18 |
16 |
22 |
7 |
63 |
|
Type 20 - Further action resulting from the crime report will be undertaken by another body or agency subject to the victim (or person acting on their behalf) being made aware of the act to be taken |
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
Type 21 - Further investigation resulting from crime report which could provide evidence sufficient to support formal action against the suspect is not in the public interest - police decision. |
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
Under Investigation |
|
|
3 |
3 |
6 |
|
Grand Total |
51 |
51 |
54 |
15 |
171 |
|
Crime outcomes |
|||||
|
088/09 - Exposure |
|||||
|
Outcome Types |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2024 |
Total |
|
Type 1 - Charged/Summonsed/Postal Requisition |
9 |
12 |
2 |
3 |
26 |
|
Type 1A - Charged/Summons - alternate offence. Offender has been charged under the alternate offence rule. |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|
5 |
|
Type 8 - Community resolution |
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
Type 11 - Prosecution Prevented-Named Suspect Identified But Is Below The Age Of Criminal Responsibility |
1 |
|
1 |
|
2 |
|
Type 12 - Prosecution Prevented-Named Suspect Identified But Is Too Ill (Physical Or Mental Health) To Prosecute, or confirmed died either before crime reported or before enough evidence to charge |
1 |
4 |
3 |
|
8 |
|
Type 14 - Evidential Difficulties Victim Based- Suspect Not Identified: Crime Confirmed But The Victim Either Declines Or Unable To Support Further Police Investigation To Identify The Offender |
8 |
11 |
4 |
1 |
24 |
|
Type 15 - Named Suspect Identified: Victim Supports Police Action But Evidential Difficulties Prevent Further Action |
11 |
11 |
10 |
1 |
33 |
|
Type 16 - Named Suspect Identified: Evidential Difficulties Prevent Further Action: Victim Does Not Support (Or Has Withdrawn Support From) Police Action |
18 |
14 |
12 |
1 |
45 |
|
Type 18 - Investigation Complete; No Suspect Identified. Crime Investigated As Far As Reasonably Possible-Case Closed Pending Further Investigative Opportunities Becoming Available |
18 |
17 |
17 |
5 |
57 |
|
Type 20 - Further action resulting from the crime report will be undertaken by another body or agency subject to the victim (or person acting on their behalf) being made aware of the act to be taken |
2 |
2 |
1 |
|
5 |
|
Type 21 - Further investigation resulting from crime report which could provide evidence sufficient to support formal action against the suspect is not in the public interest - police decision. |
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
Under Investigation |
|
2 |
3 |
2 |
7 |
|
Grand Total |
70 |
75 |
56 |
13 |
214 |
Q4 response: Please note that the data below reflects where the crimes identified at Q1 have a linked custody reference denoting an arrest.
|
Arrests |
|||||
|
Offence Title |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
Total |
|
066/21 - Committing or conspiring to commit, an act outraging public decency |
11 |
12 |
12 |
5 |
40 |
|
088/09 - Exposure |
12 |
16 |
8 |
1 |
37 |
|
Grand Total |
23 |
28 |
20 |
6 |
77 |
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is as accurate as possible; however, the data is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, therefore care should be taken to ensure data collection processes, and their inevitable limitations are considered when interpreting the data.
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 Unit
Warwickshire Police
PO Box 4
Leek Wootton
Warwickshire
CV35 7QB