FOI 852-2025 / Aug 2025 / Parcel thefts
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 852-2025
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 14th August 2025 as follows:
Q1. How many instances of parcel theft (i.e. parcels stolen from someone's doorstep, porch or lobby) were reported between the following dates: 01/01/2021 - 13/08/2025? I would like this information to be broken down by calendar year, and with the results for 2025 so far separate
Q2. Please could you share a breakdown of these instances by month for each of the date ranges provided (i.e Jan 2021, Feb 2021 etc through to Aug 2025 so far)
Q3. What is the total reported value of stolen parcels for the date range provided, broken down by calendar year (and for 2025, the results so far). If not all reported thefts have had the value of the good provided, please could you share the information for the number of parcel thefts that do have a monetary value attached and the total cost of those?
Q4. Please could you share a breakdown of these costs by month for the date range provided? (If this element of the request is going to be too time consuming, please get back in touch with me as I would not want the whole FOI to be rejected over one question)
Q5. What is the most common time of day for parcel thefts to be reported? I would like this information to be broken down by calendar year (based on the date ranges provided)
- 06:00 - 09:00
- B 09:01 - 17:00
- C 17:01 - 22:00
- D 22:01 - 06:00
Q6. Could you let me know the number of thefts, broken down by month, that have led to an arrest?
Q7. Following on from this, please could you also provide the number of parcel thefts, by month, that have resulted in a charge?
Q8. And finally, the number of parcel thefts, by month, that have led to a successful conviction? Please could you also provide the sentence (if this is going to be too time consuming, please just provide the number of convictions)
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 crime of parcel theft, i.e. the theft of a parcel after it was delivered to the recipient’s address. Reports of thefts such as these would be classified under Home Office Crime Code ‘49/10 – Theft if not classified elsewhere’, and in order to attempt to determine where the recording of such a crime relates specifically to the theft of a parcel once it has been delivered, and then the additional information relating to values, time of day, any linked arrests, and outcomes, it would be necessary to examine the details of all ‘49/10’ crime investigations and the wider documentation on an individual basis. There are approximately 2000 such crimes recorded annually, and, at an average of 5 minutes per record to review, this would equate to 750 hours of work. Therefore, this 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 Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a Refusal Notice for the request.
In accordance with Section 16 of the Act, I have a duty to provide advice and assistance on refining your request; however, due to the volume of records that would need to be individually reviewed, I am unable to suggest a way to reduce the request into one that could be managed within the fees limit.
With regards to Q8, I can advise that conviction data falls within the remit of and is held by HM Courts & Tribunal Services (HMCTS). Therefore, this information is not considered as held by Warwickshire Police.
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