Stolen Vehicles (324A/21)
Request
How many cars were reported stolen in west mids Policing Area between 01/01/2020 & 31/12/2020.
How many vans were reported stolen in West Mids Policing Area between 01/01/2020 & 31/12/2020.
How many cars were reported stolen in West Mids Policing Are that was recorded as a keyless car theft between 01/01/2020 & 31/12/2020
How many caravans were reported stolen in West Mids Policing Area between 01/01/2020 & 31/12/2020.
How many cars were reported stolen and then recovered in West Mids Policing area between 01/01/2020 & 31/12/2020.
How many vans reported as stolen then recovered in the west mids policing area between 01/01/2020 & 31/12/2002.
How many caravans were recorded as stolen and then recovered in the west mids policing area between 01/01/2020 & 31/01/2020.
Response
Our data are not organised in such a way as to allow us to provide this information within the appropriate (cost) limit within the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act (see ‘Reason for Decision’ below).
Although excess cost removes the force’s obligations under the Freedom of Information Act, as a gesture of goodwill I have supplied information, relative to your request, retrieved before it was realised that the fees limit would be exceeded (see attached). I trust this is helpful, but it does not affect our legal right to rely on the fees regulations for the remainder of the request.
REASON FOR DECISION
Please note that researching each individual case would exceed the appropriate limit (FOIA, s.12). Unless we have a witness or CCTV that confirms the method of theft then we are unable to say how an offence was committed, we would need to conduct a manual search of MO notes in order to locate and retrieve this information which would exceed the FOI time limit.
The cost of compliance with the whole of your request is above the amount to which we are legally required to respond, i.e. the cost of locating and retrieving the information would exceed the appropriate costs limit under section 12(1) of the FOI Act 2000. For West Midlands Police, the appropriate limit is set at £450, as prescribed by the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004, S.I. 3244.