Guides on Met's IVMA
Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.23.034535
I note you seek access to the following information:
Request -1
1. A copy of any User Manuals or Quick Help Guides on the Met's In-Vehicle Mobile Application (IVMA).
Request -2
1. A blank copy of Form 4531 - Vehicle Defect Rectification Notice (VDRN).
2. A blank copy of Form 4742 - Section 59 Warning Notice.
3. A blank copy of Form 955B - Vehicle Condition Removal Record.
Decision
I would like to inform you that I will disclose some of the requested information. Please find attached all forms in relation to Request 2. However, I will not disclose a copy of any User Manuals or Quick Help Guides on the Met's In-Vehicle Mobile Application (IVMA). This information has been withheld
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 exemptions:
Section 31(1) - Law Enforcement
Reason for decision
Section 31(1)(a) - Law Enforcement - allows public authorities to withhold information if it is likely to or would prejudice ‘The prevention or detection of crime’. Section 31 is a qualified exemption and as such makes it subject to a public interest test. In order to conduct this test I must consider the public interest considerations favouring disclosure and non-disclosure. Section 31 is also subject to a prejudice test, so I must also consider what potential harm would result from disclosing the requested information.
Providing information on vehicle capability - User guides are designed to educate users about a product’s functionality. A comprehensive guide will allow the user to use the product or application to its full potential with the help of clear and comprehensive instructions. The requested user guide has not been publically disclosed, although aspects of the system are already public knowledge. It is important to note that any incident a call sign is assigned can be sent to the vehicle, via this application, so that the officers can read the details that have been entered onto the CAD incident. Significantly, there are also supervision functions for patrol sergeants and specialist units. I have reviewed the requested guide and can confirm that is has been created for the sole purpose of explaining how to use the IVMA application from start to finish, and therefore provides a step by step guide for officers, which enhances the vehicles capability. Some specialist units are often the primary response to incidents across London and therefore play a vital role in keeping members of the public safe and secure. This application aids in dealing with these incidents, and the MPS would not want to reveal the full capability of such a system, if harm could be caused as a result.
Enabling criminal or malicious intent - In requesting ‘A copy of any User Manuals or Quick Help Guides on the Met's In-Vehicle Mobile Application (IVMA)’ you have requested a document that enhances a vehicle tactical capability. The officers using this system provide visible, proactive policing. To disclose the full guide to the application which indicates how the device works and is operated presents a risk. The system is present in vehicles and should a vehicle be broken into and the officers have forgotten to log out or go into standby mode then information could be accessed by criminals, including terrorists. With the use of the guide a criminal could operate and obtain valuable information. Without the use of the guide this risk is significantly lower and so minimises the threat of any targeted malicious actions in order to gain access to this system.
The release of the guide will provide a step by step tutorial relating to how to use the application. The MPS want to be as open and transparent as possible, as openness it is linked to building trust and confidence in policing and therefore it is imperative that the appropriate information is made available to the public, when it is requested. This should not however, hinder our core functions.
I have presented a number of arguments that the release of the requested information will in fact do this. It is worth noting that information that is made available under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 is published by the MPS via the publication scheme, making it readily available to the public, and not just the individual making the request. The operational capability of the MPS in response to relevant incidents must be protected, but in my public interest test I have provided a tangible risk that could arise if this guide is supplied. This potential vulnerability arises if a vehicle is broken into and the officers have forgotten to log out or go into standby mode. Knowledge of this system could therefore enable targeted malicious actions. It is clear that the release of such a guide would not prevent crime but rather encourage it, which negatively affects the MPS’s law enforcement function. This in turn would severely compromise and significantly weaken our ability to effectively deal with law enforcement. Accordingly, I have applied a Section 31 to this part of your request.
Disclosure
CONTEXT on information disclosed
A blank copy of Form 955B - Vehicle Condition Removal Record
The 955B is an older designation for the 955 form series used by the Met Police to record the removal of a vehicle and its condition. The 955s are broken down into the following sub-classifications:
• 955C (Car)
• 955V (Van)
• 955M (Motorcycle)
All three forms have been attached below.