FOI 166-2025 / Feb 2025 / Noise related disturbances
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 166-2025
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 5th February 2025 as follows:
I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding police responses to noise-related disturbances and out-of-control parties in residential areas.
Specifically, I would like to request the following data:
The total number of times officers were dispatched to residential properties in response to noise complaints in each of the following years: 2023, 2024 and 2025 (to date, if available).
The total number of incidents recorded under any of the following categories at residential addresses (or equivalent classification used by your force) in each of the same years:
- "Noise Nuisance" (if recorded separately)
- "Anti-Social Behaviour - Noise"
- "Breach of the Peace" (related to residential properties)
- "Public Order Offences" related to disorderly gatherings in residential properties
- Any other category used to record responses to out-of-control parties in residential settings.
If possible, a breakdown of the top 10 residential postcodes or neighbourhoods within your jurisdiction where officers were dispatched most frequently for noise complaints or disorderly gatherings in each year.
If providing data across all three years in one response would exceed cost/time limits, please prioritise data for 2023 and 2024.
Please find the Warwickshire Police response set out below.
Response: Please be advised that there is no identifier within the Command and Control System to isolate incidents attended in relation to noise-related disturbances and out-of-control parties in residential areas. In order to attempt to determine the number of times this may have occurred, it would be necessary to review tens of thousands of incident logs on an individual basis. Even if we were to limit the searches to those recorded as call type ‘ASB’, it would still require research of thousands of records to ascertain whether the incident related to noise related disturbances/out of control parties. In order to provide an indication of the number of ASB incidents recorded I have included a link to a disclosure made in response to a Freedom of Information request asking about ASB incidents:
FOI 619-2024 / July 2024 / Antisocial behaviour | Warwickshire Police
As this shows, such searches would take an inordinate amount of time and would greatly exceed the amount to which we are legally required to respond i.e.
the cost threshold of £450, which equates to 18 hours work at a standard rate of £25 per hour, as stated in the Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004.
In accordance with s12 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 in relation to your request; however, due to the volume of records that would need to be examined, I am unable to suggest a way to revise this element of your request into one that 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