MPS use of the Risk Terrain Modelling application

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.24.039956

I note you seek access to the following information:

1. In relation to the Metropolitan Police Service’s use of the Risk Terrain Modelling application please could you provide:
a. What the purpose of the application is
b. Who are the primary targets of the application (e.g any specific focus on crime types or location types (urban, suburban, high footfall);
c. What types of data the application uses (e.g crime reports, stop and search data, known offenders addresses);
d. If available and in an easily retrievable format, the sources of the data that the application uses (eg what databases it draws from, such as CRIMINT, PNC, PND, local authority databases);
e. What outcomes, decisions or outputs the application is used in relation to (e.g patrol decisions, stop and search decisions, targeted operations);
f. The Data Protection Impact Assessment and Equality Impact Assessments which have been conducted in relation to the application;
g. Any internal reviews, reports or assessments of the operation of the application.

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 22 – Information intended for future publication

Reason for decision

f - The Data Protection Impact Assessment and Equality Impact Assessments which have been conducted in relation to the application;

Section 22 of the Act provides public authorities with an exclusion from the duty to disclose information under Section 1(1)(b) of the Act, when the information is held with a view to its publication by any person, at any future date (whether determined or not). To withhold information under this exemption, a public authority must establish that the 'public interest' lies in withholding the requested information. The public interest is determined by conducting a 'Public Interest Test'. Section 22 of the Act is also a class-based exemption. There is therefore no requirement to demonstrate what harm would result from disclosing the requested information.

The MPS has a process for both identifying and publishing police information that is of public interest. This is an established process which is primarily designed to engage the general public in the work of the police service but importantly, also serves to reduce the financial and administrative cost of responding to requests for information under the Act. The MPS receives a considerable number of requests for information that is due to be published. It would be both administratively and financially prohibitive for the MPS to release information in response to individual requests when the information requested will be published in the near future.

When a request for information is made to which an exemption under the Act applies, I must determine whether the exemption should be claimed and in the case of exemptions that are qualified, determine whether release is in the public interest. Having considered your request, I have chosen to claim Section 22 of the Act as the requested the Data Protection Impact Assessment and Equality Impact Assessments will be published. I consider that the identified public interest factors favouring disclosure of the the Data Protection Impact Assessment and Equality Impact Assessments will be satisfied when it will be published. I also believe that it would be inefficient to prepare a second redacted version of the information for release under the Act. For these reasons, I consider that release of the information under the Act, to be contrary to the public interest. I have accordingly refused your request.

Disclosure

Q1 - In relation to the Metropolitan Police Service’s use of the Risk Terrain Modelling application please could you provide:
Q1a - What the purpose of the application is

Risk Terrain Modelling (RTM) is an analytical tool that identifies the environmental conditions that may lead to crime in line with evidenced based principles. RTM brings multiple sources of data together by connecting them to geographic places, then performs statistical calculations to identify which factors correlate with the crime type of interest.

The RTM tool shows correlations between the crime type and local geographic factors. The output can be used by analysts to prioritise further analysis and provide an evidence base to ensure officers are using the most appropriate tactics and deployments to tackle the issue. This helps the MPS to use its resources efficiently and effectively to prevent further crime and ensure public safety.

RTM enables intervention plans and problem solving strategies in order to reduce crime in high volume crime hotspots.

Q1b - Who are the primary targets of the application (e.g any specific focus on crime types or location types (urban, suburban, high footfall);

Crime types analysed are typically violent offences. This can change with priorities given to the MPS by the Home Office. The best areas to analyse would be high crime hotspots across the MPD.

Q1c - What types of data the application uses (e.g crime reports, stop and search data, known offenders addresses);

RTM primarily uses data about the landscape, such as points of interest, facilities and features of the built environment to understand patterns of public safety problems. This data is publicly available from Ordnance Survey.

Q1d - If available and in an easily retrievable format, the sources of the data that the application uses (eg what databases it draws from, such as CRIMINT, PNC, PND, local authority databases);

The MPS crime recording system Connect is the only source for incident data.
Environmental factors are predominantly sourced from Ordnance Survey (Points of Interest).

Q1e - What outcomes, decisions or outputs the application is used in relation to (e.g patrol decisions, stop and search decisions, targeted operations);

RTM produces insights into areas of a local environment that have a heightened risk of the crime type of interest occurring. How RTM is used depends on who the analyst is conducted for. Local tasking and neighbourhood teams might use the map or high risk places to plan preventative patrols. It is also possible that stop and search locations might be identified within the risky areas, also as they often coincide with high crime hotspots. RTM outputs help to understand environmental risk factors, which could inform a range of potential response strategies including partnership problem solving, community engagement or crime prevention through environmental design for example.

Q1g - Any internal reviews, reports or assessments of the operation of the application.

At the moment there is no comprehensive review available yet. An evidence based randomised control trial is being considered, subject to funding and staffing being made available.