Disaster Victim Identification - 566/2021

Request:

Could I please request documents related to Disaster Victim Identification (DVI). Namely;

1. Record of officers training in DVI, any course. Not names specifically, but numbers of officers and
   • type of training.
2. Records of refresher training in DVI (any course, again numbers not names).
3. A copy of the force's DVI Capability statement.
4. A copy of the force's (DVI) quality manual if you have one.
5. Does your force have a method of reviewing (DVI) feedback from customers? This could be in practice scenarios, or from live events.

•  

 

Response:

Question 1:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, however we are exempting this information by virtue of Section 31(a)(b) – Law Enforcement.  Please see the end of the webpage for an explanation of the applied exemption.

 

Question 1a:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, the details of which are as follows:

• College of Policing DVI Foundation Training

 

Question 2:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, however we are exempting this information by virtue of Section 31(a)(b) – Law Enforcement.  Please see the end of the document for an explanation of the applied exemption.

Please note: The following information has been provided outside of the FOI Act as a gesture of goodwill for assistance to your request.

College of Policing DVI Foundation trained personnel must complete refresher training, which is mandatory every two years.

 

Question 3:

I can confirm there is no information held/recorded by Dyfed-Powys Police.

 

Question 4:

I can confirm there is no information held/recorded by Dyfed-Powys Police.

 

Question 5:

I can confirm that Dyfed Powys police does not have a method of reviewing (DVI) feedback from customers.

Please note: The following information has been provided outside of the FOI Act as a gesture of goodwill for assistance to your request.

All operational deployments are subject to a formal debrief.                          

_______________________________

Explanation of the applied exemption:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, however a Section 31(1)(a)(b) Law Enforcement exemption has been applied to the requested information thereby exempting its release.

Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 places two duties on public authorities. Unless exemptions apply, the first duty at Section 1(1) (a) is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in a request is held. The second duty at Section 1(1) (b) is to disclose information that has been confirmed as being held.

Where exemptions are relied upon section 17 of FOIA requires that we provide the applicant with a notice which:

1. a) States that fact
2. b) Specifies the exemption(s) in question and
3. c) State (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies

 

Section 31(1)(a)(b) - Law Enforcement

(1) 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 -

(a) the prevention or detection of crime

(b) the apprehension or prosecution of offenders

Section 31 is a prejudice based qualified exemption and as such there is a requirement to provide details of the harm as well as the public interest test.

 

Evidence of Harm

Under the Act, we cannot, and do not request the motives of any application for information. We have no doubt that the vast majority of requests made under the Act are legitimate and the applicants do not have any ulterior motives. However, in disclosing information to one applicant, we are expressing a willingness to provide it to anyone in the world. This means that a disclosure to a genuinely interested and concerned person automatically opens it up for a similar disclosure, including those who would use the information to gain an advantage over our ability to exercise our core function which is Law Enforcement.

In considering whether or not this information should be disclosed, consideration has been given to the potential harm that could be caused by disclosure. The police service is charged with enforcing the law, preventing and detecting crime and protecting the communities we serve. The release of any operational capability in terms of numbers of trained DVI personnel could undermine that position. DVI is a specialism held by many police forces across the country, in numbers sufficient that in the event of a disaster on the largest scale that sufficient DVI trained personnel can respond.  To release these details in a force by force manner would not only reveal Dyfed Powys Polices operational capability but it would also create a mosaic effect across the country showing areas of capability and vulnerability.  Consequently for those that would seek to commit criminal acts, revealing the areas of capability and vulnerability could then be used to gain an advantage resulting in further criminal activity.

The disclosure of information which is likely to undermine the Police service’s ability to serve the public in preventing and detecting crime can only be considered as being harmful to the public.

 

Public Interest Test:

Section 31 - Considerations favouring disclosure:

Factors favouring the disclosure of this information would include better awareness may reduce crime or lead to more information from the public

 

Section 31 - Considerations favouring non-disclosure: 

However factors favouring non-disclosure would be that it would compromise law enforcement tactics and more crime could be committed. This would have an impact on police resources and would hinder the prevention or detection of crime and place individuals at risk.

 

Balance Test:

After considering the advantages and disadvantages in disclosure it falls upon Dyfed Powys Police to conduct a balance test on the issues. The strongest arguments for release which is better awareness may reduce crime or lead to more information from the public need to be weighed against the strongest argument for non-release which in this case is Effective Law Enforcement. The Police Service is tasked with the prevention and detection of crime and protecting the public. Whilst there is a public interest in better awareness may reduce crime or lead to more information from the public there is very strong public interest in safeguarding the protection of the public and the effective use of police resources.

Therefore, in all the circumstance of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

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It should be noted that owing to the systems adopted by Dyfed-Powys Police in relation to the recording of such matters the information provided may or may not be accurate.