Land/Range Rover and car thefts recorded by the MPS from 2019 to 2021

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.22.022981

I note you seek access to the following information:

ORIGINAL REQUEST -

Specific information being requested: a list of individual Land Rover thefts (including Range Rover) Time period: 01/01/2019 to present
Region: Entirety of boroughs covered by Met Police
Format: Excel spreadsheet

List to include the following data please:
• Date of theft
• Date of recovery
• Vehicle model
• Vehicle year of manufacture
• Monthly total of all car thefts (all manufacturers) for each of the months in the time period, across whole MPD area.

REQUEST REDEFINED -

1. Region: Entirety of boroughs covered by Met Police
Just the totals for all boroughs please (although I am not clear how this figure will differ for the total figure for the MPS). No need for a break-down by specific boroughs.

2. Monthly total of all car thefts.
Two categories please: 4X4s and SUVs.

3. Monthly total of all car thefts (all manufacturers) for each of the months in the time period, across whole MPD area.
Just a total of all manufacturers (not listed separately) by month for the whole MPS (not split by Borough as well)
The latter please: one total figure per month.

Decision

Before I explain the reasons for the decisions I have made in relation to your request, I thought that it would be helpful if I outline the parameters set out by the Act within which a request for information can be answered.

The Act creates a statutory right of access to information held by public authorities. A public authority in receipt of a request must, if permitted, confirm if the requested information is held by that public authority and, if so, then communicate that information to the applicant.

The right of access to information is not without exception and is subject to a number of exemptions which are designed to enable public authorities to withhold information that is not suitable for release. Importantly, the Act is designed to place information into the public domain, that is, once access to information is granted to one person under the Act, it is then considered public information and must be communicated to any individual.

I have today decided to disclose some of the requested information. Some data has been withheld as it is exempt from disclosure and therefore this response serves as a Refusal Notice under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) by virtue of the following exemption:

S40(2) - Personal Information

S40 are absolute exemptions which means that the legislators have identified that harm would be caused by any release. In addition there is no requirement to consider the public interest test.

Reason for decision

Our searches produced data where the value is low in numbers. It has been necessary to ensure an individual’s identity cannot be revealed by the information we disclose.

Furthermore, when data is requested about specific models together with the date of thefts - identification of individuals is possible. There is also a potential to reveal whether or not crimes have been reported to us, which in this case, could result in further offending. The perpetrator would be aware that the crime(s) had not been reported to us. Should the offence have been committed against someone known to the offender, they could then repeat offend in the belief that this too would not be reported.

Disclosure

In order to reduce the harm in disclosure, I have decided to provide you with the requested information apart from the model of the vehicles and date of theft.

Please see spreadsheet below.