Information on cold cases

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.23.028789

I note you seek access to the following information:

Thank you for your e mail and attached FOI Response, which I have considered carefully. With respect, your response does not cover my requests 1 – 8 below, which all relate to current procedural matters, not historic.

Please can I ask for a response on these questions.

Procedural
1. If periodic reviews of cold cases are documented and managed on HOLMES.

2. If there are national or MPS guidelines on the conduct of periodic reviews of cold cases.

3. Under what circumstances the MPS will initiate a periodic review of a cold case.

4. If a Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) is appointed for each periodic review.

5. If the SIO is rotated so the same SIO does not perform subsequent periodic reviews on the same case.

6. If there are national or MPS guidelines on responding to new information on cold cases.

7. If new information is received on a cold case, does this require a periodic review to be conducted.

8. What are the criteria to design ate a case as a cold case and transfer it to the MPS cold case unit.

In your response, you state that the MPS does not hold a central database of unsolved Murders and Attempted Murders (GBH/ABH) from the period 1969 – 1980, which is helpful. Please can you confirm in which year did the MPS start maintaining a central database of Murders and Attempted Murders

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

Q1 - If periodic reviews of cold cases are documented and managed on HOLMES.

No, periodic reviews are not documented and managed on HOLMES.

Q2 - If there are national or MPS guidelines on the conduct of periodic reviews of cold cases.

Due to the broad spectrum of enquiries that may constitute a periodic review, there are no specific guidelines for the conduct of such a review nor for responding to the information received save for an acknowledgement that the information has been received (please note this answer would also answer Q6).

Q3 - Under what circumstances the MPS will initiate a periodic review of a cold case.

A periodic review may be embarked upon due to a fixed period being elapsed since the case was entered into an inactive state, or on receipt of new information which is of significant probative value.

Q4 - If a Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) is appointed for each periodic review.

In the case of a full review, a Review Officer is assigned to complete this task.

Q5 - If the SIO is rotated so the same SIO does not perform subsequent periodic reviews on the same case.

It is unlikely that the same Review Officer will undertake sequential reviews, although this is not formally precluded.

Q6 - If there are national or MPS guidelines on responding to new information on cold cases.

Please see the answer to Question 2.

Q7 - If new information is received on a cold case, does this require a periodic review to be conducted.

If new information is received in relation to a case, this information will be assessed and may be acted upon however does not automatically trigger a full case review.

Q8 - What are the criteria to design ate a case as a cold case and transfer it to the MPS cold case unit.

The MPS Specialist Casework Team have responsibility for dealing with all enquiries relating to pre-2013 Homicides, either solved or unsolved.

Q9 - Please can you confirm in which year did the MPS start maintaining a central database of Murders and Attempted Murders

The MPS hold records of Homicides dating back to the 1930’s.

Please note that the Specialist Casework Team would not hold records of GBH/ABH.