Crimes by Ethnicity and Outcome (78A/24)
Request
1: People proceeded against ethnicity (self-identified preferably) data with a positive outcome (i.e. a charge brought against the suspect) by detailed crime for 1995, 2001, 2011 and 2022 broken down by borough
To specify what I mean by detailed crime, along the lines of this list here but including any other offences I missed. Additionally, it would also be useful if you could provide a total table
| All other theft offences |
| Bicycle theft |
| Business and community burglary |
| Criminal damage and arson offences |
| Death or serious injury caused by unlawful driving |
| Homicide |
| Miscellaneous crimes against society |
| Other sexual offences |
| Possession of drugs |
| Possession of weapon offences |
| Public order offences |
| Rape |
| Residential burglary |
| Robbery of business property |
| Robbery of personal property |
| Shoplifting |
| Stalking and harassment |
| Theft from the person |
| Trafficking of drugs |
| Vehicle offences |
| Violence with injury |
| Violence without injury |
2: Arrests by detailed crime (see above again) for 2022 by ethnicity broken down by borough. Additionally, it would also be useful if you could provide a total tab
Once again please contact me if there are any issues relating to time and budget restraints, I am more than happy to comprise on the first requests dates to be limited to just 2022.
CLARIFICATION
The self-identified ethnicity would be of the suspect themselves that is correct. For LPA’s yes that is perfectly acceptable, I should have stated that instead.
AMENDED REQUEST
We offered within the cost limit to search for partial data for question 1 from 1996 (data starts from July 1996). For question 2 we offered to search for a breakdown by the Ethnic description and the Offence Sub Class, but explained that the data would not broken down by the LPA/Borough.
However, you have partially accepted what we offered, but also asked for the following, ‘can I change the first-year date for the first question to 1997 though so I am able to get a full years’ worth of data?’
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). The data for 1997 was not retrieved within our original search and was not offered in our response to you on 07/02/2024, therefore to locate and retrieve this information would exceed the FOI time limit. If you required data for 1997 you would need to submit a new FOI request.
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.
Further information on section 12 of FOI is available here:
I also note that you have submitted several other requests of a similar nature, we aim to provide data where asked, however sending multiple / overlapping requests can place an administrative burden on the Force to process, locate and retrieve the data. It is important to note that requests of the same / similar nature can be aggregated for cost purposes. I would recommend that you familiarise yourself with ICO guidance on Freedom of Information before making any further requests.
https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/official-information/
In particular you may wish to look at the ‘Information request dos and don’ts’ section. As your requests show some of these relevant characteristics we may consider the application of Section 14 (vexatious or repeated requests) as well as Section 12 (where the request exceeds the appropriate limit) to future requests.