Custody photos 658/2025

FOI Reference: 658/2025

Request 1 - 3:

Under the Freedom of Information Act, I am requesting the force's policy on the issue of custody photos of convicts.

Specifically:

1) Are custody photos published on the force's web site? Do they remain there indefinitely?

2) Are there restrictions on who custody photos are made available to? Can any member of the public request them? Can press organisations?

3) What criteria are used in determining the release/publication of a custody photo of a person charged with/convicted of an offence? Is there a minimum sentence length requirement for photo publication? Please include every requirement in your response.

Response 1:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

Custody photos are regularly published on the force website, accompanied by a press release outlining the circumstances of the incident that resulted in the defendant’s sentence. This could relate to a significant sentence, or following an incident that has caused community concern, disruption, or a risk to / loss of life. Our deletion process is six years following sentence.

Response 2:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

Custody photos are made available to members of the press, when set criteria are met (see below). Images are released contemporaneously following the conclusion of court proceedings, and in line with the College of Policing media APP.

Response 3:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

Custody photos can only be released to the press or published on the force website if a defendant has been handed an immediate prison sentence of 12 months or more. There is a presumption towards release unless there is a legitimate reason not to. Legitimate reasons usually include:

1. It will identify a victim of crime.
2. There are suitable grounds to believe it may compromise someone’s safety or future police operations (the person whose safety may be compromised may not necessarily be the subject of the photograph request).
3. Victim vulnerabilities or wishes where the offence relates to domestic abuse or a sexual offence.                                            

It should be noted that as a result of the systems adopted by Dyfed-Powys Police in relation to the recording of such information that the information released may or may not be accurate.

(This is a response under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and disclosed on 21/07/2025)