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Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.24.036583
I note you seek access to the following information:
I am now placing an FOI for the following information between January 2021 and March 2024:
I would like you to provide this information in the following format:
Clarification - asking if you included e bikes as well as normal bicycles in your request.
You responded -
I would like E-Bikes to be specified separately in an excel spreadsheet with the data broken down per year 2021/2022/2023/2024 within the criteria specified on the previous correspondence.
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 – Law Enforcement
Section 38 – Health and Safety
Reason for decision
For Questions 4 & 5 of your request, you have asked for information on the total number of ‘officer stopped’ fixed penalty notices (Traffic Offence Reports - TORs) issued to drivers in the Metropolitan Police area; and also caught on camera - Notice of Intended Prosecutions (NIP’s) for speeding at a specific site. We can confirm that for the TORs, the MPS recorded only five cases for the period in question (i.e. between January 2021 and March 2024).
If we were to provide the number of violations/detections and NIP’s issued by a site specific speed camera, this would cause operational harm to the MPS.
Section 31(1)(a)(b) - Law Enforcement - Information which is not exempt information by virtue of section 30 is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice - The prevention or detection of crime, the apprehension or prosecution of offenders,
Section 38(1) – Health and Safety - of the Act provides an exemption from the disclosure of information which would or would be likely to (a) endanger the physical or mental health of any individual, or (b) endanger the safety of any individual.
There are a number of factors which effect the ability of the MPS to prevent and detect crime. One of which centres on public trust. It could be argued that by providing you with the recorded speed or NIP’s issued due to excessive speeding on this section of road would contribute to a ‘mosaic effect’ of information being in the public domain that represents a harm to road safety. You may ask how?
The Mosaic Effect - FOIA disclosures are placed into the public domain. Disclosures which appear harmless, pieced together with other disclosures can be used in a ‘mosaic effect’ to give a fuller picture to those wishing to disrupt operational policing challenges in London. This ‘cumulative prejudice’ or the ‘mosaic effect’ whereby the information requested may be of increased significance when combined with other information obtained through other means and/or at a later date. Combining the items illuminates their interrelationships and breeds analytic synergies, so that the resulting mosaic of information is worth more than the sum of its parts.
The information would provide a national picture of where work is being undertaken, creating a mosaic effect on data disclosure and allowing criminals to map together information to target identified weaknesses. This would clearly hinder the Met’s effectiveness to enforce the law and place risk on public safety.
To disclose information in relation to NIPs issued would therefore reveal tactical capability and would place the MPS at a tactical disadvantage. The MPS has a duty to protect the public from harm and that duty of care to all involved must be the overriding consideration. It cannot be in the public interest to disclose information which would undermine our ability to detect crime and bring offenders to justice. Specific information would reveal resource information and intelligence that would be extremely valuable to those wishing to carry out such infractions.
As detailed within the 'harm', the disclosure of any information that provides information in relation to the deployment and use of police resources would be a valuable asset to individuals and/or organisations wishing to commit crimes. In addition, more crimes would be committed which would place the safety of the general public at risk.
Whilst there is public interest in the transparency of policing resources and providing reassurance that the MPS is appropriately and effectively ensuring that their resources are used effectively and appropriately, there is also a strong public interest in knowing that policing activity with regard to the delivery of law enforcement is operationally effective.
Public safety is of paramount importance and any information which would undermine policing tactics and consequently place individuals at risk is not in the public interest. The effective delivery of operational law enforcement is crucial and of paramount importance to the MPS.
Disclosure of such information would undermine the operational integrity of effective law enforcement and will undoubtedly adversely affect public safety as more crimes would be committed.
We are therefore unable to disclose the NIP data by the location requested, as we believe that there is a stronger public interest in ensuring that the overall effectiveness of speed cameras is not undermined or compromised.
Disclosure
Q1 - Total number of all speeding offences committed by cyclists for speeding greater than 20mph in the Metropolitan area.
Q2 - Total number of all speeding offences committed by cyclists for speeding greater than 20mph in the Metropolitan area and caught on camera.
Q3 - Total number of all speeding offences committed by cyclists for speeding greater than 20mph along Sixth Cross Road near Staines Road TW2.
In response to the 3 questions above, the Metropolitan Police Service do not hold the requested information. This is because speed limits listed in the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 relate to motor vehicles and not to bicycles (including E-Bikes).
Q6 - Total number of fixed penalty notices issued to drivers caught on camera for speeding greater than 20mph in the Metropolitan area.
We can confirm that for the period in question (i.e. between January 2021 and March 2024) the MPS recorded a total of 590792 camera speeding cases - for exceeding 20 mph offences.
Q7 - Total number of fixed penalty notices issued to drivers caught on camera for speeding greater than 20mph in the Metropolitan area and the offence subsequently dismissed.
Of the 590792 cases, 59042 were subject to no further action.