Police officers under investigation 245/2024
FOI Reference: 245/2024
Request:
For the years 2013 - 2023
- number of police officers & staff employed
- police officer & staff investigated for a criminal offence
- police officers & staff under investigation for gross misconduct or gross misconduct following the NFA of a criminal investigation
- police officers & staff under investigation for misconduct
- police officers & staff who committed suicide whilst not under investigation for misconduct or gross misconduct
- police officers & staff who attempted suicide whilst not under investigation for conduct or gross misconduct
- police officers & staff who reported a mental health condition as a result of work whilst not under investigation for misconduct or gross misconduct
- police officers & staff who reported a mental health condition as a result of work whilst not under investigation for misconduct or gross misconduct
- police officers & staff who were treated as a medium or high risk missing person whilst not under investigation for gross misconduct
- Police officers & staff who were sectioned under s.135/135 of the mental health act whilst not under investigation for misconduct or gross miss conduct
- police officers & staff who committed suicide whilst under investigation for misconduct or gross misconduct
- police officers & staff who attempted suicide whilst under investigation for conduct or gross misconduct
- police officers & staff who reported being suicidal whilst under investigation for misconduct or gross misconduct
- police officers & staff who reported a mental health condition as a result of work whilst under investigation for misconduct or gross misconduct
- police officers & staff who were treated as a medium or high risk missing person whilst under investigation for gross misconduct
- Police officers & staff who were sectioned under s.135/135 of the mental health act whilst under investigation for misconduct or gross miss conduct
- number of instances relating to work related stress, suicide or attempted suicide reported the HSE
Response:
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 the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires Dyfed Powys Police, when refusing to provide such information (because the information is exempt) to provide you the applicant with a notice which: (a) states that fact, (b) specifies the exemption in question and (c) states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.
I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information you have requested. However, we are withholding the whole of the requested information since we consider that the Section 12(1) exemption the Cost of Compliance exceeds the Appropriate Limit applies to it.
Section 12 (1) – The cost of compliance exceeds the Appropriate Limit
Section 12(1) states: “…Section 1 (1) does not oblige a public authority to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying with the request would exceed the appropriate limit.”
The cost of providing you with the information requested in respect 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 exceeds the “appropriate level” as stated in the Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004. It is estimated that it would exceed 18 hours (i.e. minimum of 1833.26 hours) to comply with this part of your request. The regulations can be located @ www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2004/3244
The Freedom of Information department has been advised that the information in respect of Question 2 of your request is not held in an easily retrievable format. In light of this and in order to accurately obtain the information relative to your request for the time frame stipulated would involve Dyfed Powys Police accessing and reviewing all Complaints and Misconduct records, each record would have to be manually reviewed to ascertain which records were linked to a criminal offence.
A specific time estimate has not been provided due to the fact that it has been established that there are a total of 1971 records just for the year 2023. It has also been established that it would take a minimum of 5 minutes to review and obtain the information for a single record in respect of your request (as outlined above). The process outlined results in the below time estimate.
1971 records in 2023 x 5 minutes = 164.25 hours x 11 years of records
The Freedom of Information department has been advised that the information in respect of Question 3 of your request is not held in an easily retrievable format. In light of this and in order to accurately obtain the information relative to your request for the time frame stipulated would involve Dyfed Powys Police accessing and reviewing all Complaint, Conduct and Miscellaneous cases, each record would have to be manually reviewed to ascertain if it is relevant to this request.
A specific time estimate has not been provided due to the fact that it has been established that there are a total of 362 Conduct cases alone for the period requested. It has also been established that it would take a minimum of 5 minutes to review and obtain the information for a single record in respect of your request (as outlined above). The process outlined results in the below time estimate.
362 conduct cases x 5 minutes = 30.16 hours
The Freedom of Information department has also been advised that the information in respect of Questions 7 & 8 of your request is not held in an easily retrievable format. In light of this and in order to accurately obtain the information relative to your request for the time frame stipulated the relevant department has provided the following time estimate and explanation:
All absences should be recorded and categorised within the sickness management system. Psychological Disorders category within Sickness Management System covers sickness absences for the following reasons:
|
P000 Psychological Disorders - Stress, depression, mental health & fatigue syndromes |
|||
|
Acute stress reaction Addiction Alcoholism Alzheimer's disease Anxiety disorders Asthenia Bereavement Bipolar disorder Burn out Chemical dependency Debility Delusional disorder Dementia Depression Drink or drug related absence |
Drug abuse Eating disorders (anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa) Exhaustion Fatigue Fibromyalgia Grief reaction Hypomania Insomnia Lethargy Manic / bipolar depression ME Mood disorder |
Myalgic encephalomyelitis Nervous breakdown Nervous debility Nervous disorder Neurasthenia Neurosis Neuroticism Obsessive-compulsive disorder Panic attacks Panic disorder Paranoia Personal problems Personality disorder
|
Phobias Post natal depression Post traumatic stress reaction Post viral fatigue Post viral syndrome Posttraumatic stress disorder Psychosis PTSD Relationship problems Schizophrenia Self-harm Sleep problems Stress |
In order to respond to the specific questions raised, each psychological record would need to be reviewed and assessed against the criteria requested. Due to delays with the system, this could take up to 10 minutes per record. In addition there maybe circumstances whereby it is not evident from the sickness record so further information would be required from contact records, Occupational Health records and Fit Notes submitted.
In order to expedite your response, I have looked at a historic FOI response whereby I have provided approximate times estimates:
2023 = 168 records x 10 minutes = 28 hours
2022 = 141 records x 10 minutes = 23.5 hours
2021 = 256 records x 10 minutes = 42.6 hours
2020 = 201 records x 10 minutes = 33.5 hours
2019 = 198 records x 10 minutes = 33 hours
964 records x 10 minutes = minimum of 160.6 hours
Total time estimate to complete task = 1833.26 hours
In accordance therefore with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a Refusal Notice for the Whole of this request under Section 17(5) A public authority which, in relation to any request for information, is relying on a claim that section 12 or section 14 applies must, within the time for complying with section 1(1), give the applicant a notice stating that fact.
You may wish to refine and resubmit your request so that it reduces the time shown above to fall within the 18 hours, should you require any further advice in relation to this matter please don’t hesitate to contact the Freedom of Information Unit. Please also be advised that should the request be refined, it does not remove the public authorities right to cite exemptions if relevant.
Although excess cost removes the forces obligations under the Freedom of Information Act to provide any further information, as a gesture of goodwill, I have provided information, relative to question 1 of your request which has been easily retrievable and outlined below. I trust this is helpful, but it does not affect our legal right to rely on the fees regulations for the remainder of your request.
Q1.
I can confirm that Dyfed Powys Police does hold information in relation to this request, as outlined below:
|
Date |
Police Officers Total |
Police Staff Total |
|
31st March 2013 |
1133 |
802 |
|
31st March 2014 |
1142 |
807 |
|
31st March 2015 |
1195 |
735 |
|
31st March 2016 |
1170 |
779 |
|
31st March 2017 |
1182 |
829 |
|
31st March 2018 |
1207 |
847 |
|
31st March 2019 |
1163 |
869 |
|
31st March 2020 |
1183 |
887 |
|
31st March 2021 |
1199 |
943 |
|
31st March 2022 |
1245 |
976 |
|
31st March 2023 |
1317 |
961 |
|
As of 31st January 2024 |
1287 |
945 |
Q4.
I can confirm that Dyfed Powys Police does hold information in relation to this request, as outlined below:
|
Year |
Police Officers Total |
Police Staff Total |
|
2013 |
30 |
8 |
|
2014 |
33 |
5 |
|
2015 |
34 |
6 |
|
2016 |
41 |
12 |
|
2017 |
31 |
8 |
|
2018 |
20 |
6 |
|
2019 |
25 |
10 |
|
2020 |
35 |
10 |
|
2021 |
26 |
3 |
|
2022 |
33 |
10 |
|
2023 |
37 |
11 |
Q5, Q6, Q9-Q17.
Please note that Dyfed Powys Police does not hold the information requested.
(This is a response under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and disclosed on 20/08/2024)