Crime review processes, correspondence and 999 call handlers

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.24.035362

I note you seek access to the following information:

1. Response protocols and standing orders on receipt of a theft of vehicle report by 999 call handlers.
2. Procedures and standing orders in relation to crime review processes on referral of offences reported to 999 call handlers.
3. Policy and standing orders in relation to the handling correspondence addressed to the Commissioner of the Metropolis.

Decision

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 exemptions:

Section 31(1)(a) - Law Enforcement
Section 40(2)&(3A)(a) - Personal Information

Reason for decision

Section 31(1)(a) - Law Enforcement - of the Act provides that any information is exempt if its disclosure under the Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice the prevention or detection of crime.

I have claimed this exemption in that the requested records contain email addresses that are used in operational policing. I have also claimed this exemption as the requested records contain details of a process that is considered to be operationally sensitive by the MPS. This information would, if released and published on the MPS website, provide persons intent on disrupting the work of the MPS, with information that would assist them in this endeavour. The public release of this information would accordingly, be likely to harm the ability of the MPS to prevent and/or detect crime.

Harm to the Ability of the MPS to Prevent and Detect Crime - The requested ‘Theft of Motor Vehicle Computer Aided Dispatch Standard Operating Procedures’ contain details of a process that is considered to be operationally sensitive by the MPS. This process concerns the actions that are to be taken should the theft of a marked police vehicle take place. The public release and publication of this information would be harmful to the ability of the MPS to prevent and/or detect crime. The public release of any information that would be likely to adversely affect the ability of the MPS to prevent or detect crime, is likely to be contrary to the public interest.

Disruption to the Work of Members of Staff - The requested records contain an email address that is used MPS employees engaged in operational policing. The public release and publication of this information would be harmful, as it would provide persons intent on disrupting the work of the MPS, with information that would assist them to do so. In this regard, a person within this intent would be likely to use this information to make inappropriate contact with MPS employees and/or send them vast quantities of unsolicited correspondence. This would disrupt operational policing hindering the ability of the MPS to prevent and detect crime.

When considering whether the release of information is in the public interest, I have to consider whether the public interest is in favour of releasing information into the public domain or whether there is sufficient reason to support withholding the requested information. Having considered your request, I accept that there is a public interest in transparency when any request is made for police information. The public interest favouring release must be balanced against any associated risk and/or prejudice that would be caused through disclosure.

Having carefully considered this, I have found that the public interest does not support the release of information that would allow operational policing to be disrupted and/or would harm the ability of the MPS to prevent and detect crime. Additionally, given that the removal of requested information, with particular reference to the requested email address, does not detract from the quality of the records being disclosed, I have found that release is not in the public interest.

Section 40(2)&(3A)(a) - Personal Information - of the Act provides that any information to which a request for information relates, is exempt information if the first condition of Section 40(3A)(a) is satisfied. The first condition of Section 40(3A)(a) states that personal information is exempt if its disclosure would contravene any of the data protection principles.

There are six principles that are set out in Article 5(1)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) that dictate when the processing of personal data is lawful. The first principle requires that any processing of personal data must be lawful, fair and transparent. Under Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR, the disclosure of personal data is considered to be lawful if:

a. There is a legitimate interest in the disclosure of that personal data.
b. The disclosure of the personal data is necessary to meet that legitimate interest.
c. The disclosure would not cause unwarranted harm to the data subject.

Name of an MPS Member of Police Staff - The requested documents contains the name of a serving member of police staff (i.e. a civilian employee). Having considered the legitimate interest test in respect of this personal data, I have found that:

a. Employees holding rank below that of a Broad Band (i.e. director level) are unlikely to expect their names to be published in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. In the case of this request, the member of police staff named in the requested documents holds rank significantly below that of a Band. Given their role and level of responsibility within the MPS, I have not identified a legitimate interest that would be satisfied in disclosing the personal data of the identified member of police staff in response to this request for information.

Disclosure

I have disclosed the located information in a series of attachments at the bottom of this disclosure. The information located addresses parts 1 and 2 of your request for information and was located with MetCC and with the CRIB. It is as follows:

1. Theft of Motor Vehicle Computer Aided Dispatch Standard Operating Procedures
2. Crime Assessment Principles
3. Crime Assessment Principles - Flow Chart

The searches completed in respect of part 3 of your request for information were completed with the CPO and failed to locate information relevant to your request for information.

The information disclosed has been provided to you in redacted format, that is, I have removed information that I consider to be exempt under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act). The following provisions of the Act have been claimed in redacting/withholding this information.