FOI 8-2025 / Jan 2025 / Protest arrests
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 8-2025
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 3rd January 2025 as follows:
This is a request for information according to the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
It relates to arrests made, and restrictions imposed, by your force under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.
Please note there are four parts to my request.
- In the time period 28/06/2022 up to 01/01/2025, on how many occasions has your force used the powers allowed for in Section 75 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022: Offences under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986?
Sections 12 and 14 of the 1986 Act (as amended by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022) allow the police to impose any type of condition on a public procession or public assembly necessary to prevent: significant impact on persons or serious disruption to the activities of an organisation by noise; serious disorder; serious damage to property; serious disruption to the life of the community; or if the purpose of the persons organising the protest is the intimidation of others with a view to compelling them not to do an act they have a right to do, or to do an act they have a right not to do.
- In the time period 28/06/2022 up to 01/01/2025, how many arrests has your force made under Section 78 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022: the offence of intentionally or recklessly causing public nuisance
- In the time period 28/06/2022 up to 01/01/2025, on how many occasions has your force used the powers allowed for in Section 79 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022: imposing conditions on one-person protests?
- In the time period 12/05/2022 up to 01/01/2025, how many arrests has your force made under Section 80 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022: wilful obstruction of a highway?
Please find the Warwickshire Police response set out below.
Response: Please be advised that not all of the requested information is available in a readily retrievable format. The reason for arrest (RFA) in relation to the stated offences at Q2 and Q4 would be recorded on the Custody System as ‘other – Not listed – PNC Recordable’. In order to ascertain the number of those which are in relation to the stated offences, it would be necessary to review each and every one on an individual basis. Such searches would exceed 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 section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a Refusal Notice for this request.
Under Section 16 of the Act, I have a duty to provide advice and assistance; however, in this instance, I am unable to suggest a way that you could reasonably pare down these elements of your request into one which could be handled within the fees limit unless you were to reduce the time period to, say, one year, where this may allow for searches to be undertaken.
I can also advise that it may be possible to provide a response to Q1 and Q3 should you wish to resubmit your request.
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