FOI 283-2025 / Mar 2025 / Databases
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 283-2025
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 3rd March 2025 as follows:
Operational Databases:
- The number of separate information databases your force operates in relation to operational matters (excluding internal systems such as HR or logistical databases, clothing stores, etc.).
- A brief description of the purpose of these operational databases. To be clear, we do not require specific titles of the databases; generic descriptions will suffice - for example: "intelligence (general)", "intelligence casework", "incident (general)", "knife crime", "gangs", etc.
We fully acknowledge the need to maintain operational sensitivity and are not requesting any information that would compromise security or investigative work.
Please accept my sincere apologies for the delay in providing the response to your request and for any inconvenience that this may have caused. 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 way of readily identifying the number of databases relating to ‘operational matters’ and, in order to retrieve he requested information, it would be necessary to carry out extensive enquiries and research with not only the IT department and Information Assurance departments, but also with individual business areas. As you will appreciate, this process would take an inordinate amount of time and the cost involved would be above the amount to which we are legally required to respond ie, the work involved in locating, retrieving and recording the information requested for exceeds the cost threshold (£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.
In accordance with Section 16 of the Act, I have a duty to provide advice and assistance in suggesting ways to revise your request where possible; however, on this occasion I am unable to advise of a way to do this to allow for information to be retrieved 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