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FOI Reference: 40/2024
Request:
I am writing to you to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Q1. Please state how many dogs were reported as stolen in your area in 2023:
2023 |
|
Reports of dogs being stolen |
Q2. Over the same timeframe, please state how many of these cases were resolved (i.e. the pet was returned to its owner):
2023 |
|
Cases of dogs being returned |
Q3. If possible, please state the three most commonly stolen breeds of dog and the number of each taken, in 2023:
Stolen dogs |
Breed #1 |
Breed #2 |
Breed #3 |
|||
Name |
Count |
Name |
Count |
Name |
Count |
|
2023 |
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.
I can confirm that the cost of determining whether any information relative to this request is or isn’t held is above the amount to which we are legally required to respond therefore we are withholding the whole of the requested information since we consider that the Section 12 (2) exemption the Cost of Compliance exceeds the Appropriate Limit applies to it.
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. The following exemption has been applied to the whole of the information you have requested:
Section 12(2) – The cost of compliance exceeds the Appropriate Limit
Section 12(2) states: “…Subsection (1) does not exempt the public authority from its obligation to comply with paragraph (a) of section 1(1) unless the estimated cost of complying with that paragraph alone would exceed the appropriate limit.”
The cost of determining what information is held, if any, relevant to 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 531.00 hours) to comply with 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 your request for the time period of 13/05/23 – 31/12/23 is not held in an easily retrievable format as we are currently in the process of implementing a new recording system and at this point in time we are unable to breakdown the information to the level that is required to answer your request within the 18 hour time frame. Therefore, in order to establish what information, if any, is held in relation to the request for the period covering 13/05/23 – 31/12/23 would require the individual interrogation of all theft crimes to ascertain if it relates to the theft of a dog. It has been established that for the period as outlined i.e. 13/05/23 – 31/12/23 there are a total of 3,186 theft crimes that would require researching. It has been estimated that it would take a minimum of 10 minutes to research a single crime for relevance to your request as outlined above, resulting in the following time estimate.
13/05/23 – 31/12/23 = 3,186 theft crimes at 10 minutes per crime = 531.00 hours
Total of 531.00 hours to complete task
Please note: In addition the above time estimate information covering the time period of 01/01/23 – 12/05/23 is retrievable within the 18 hour time frame and has been provided below as a gesture of goodwill outside of the FOI act.
In accordance 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, however with due regard to the time estimate provided above it is unlikely that refining your request will fall under the 18 hours as the same method and format will have to be undertaken. 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 Force’s 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 your request which has been easily retrievable and outlined below for the period covering 01/01/23 – 12/05/23. 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.
Question 1:
01/01/23 to 12/05/23 - Three (3) theft of dog crimes
Question 2:
01/01/23 to 12/05/23 – All three (3) of the theft of dog crimes referred to in question 1 (above) resulted in the outcome of no suspect identified.
Question 3:
1 x Jack Russel
1 x Labrador
1 x Patterdale Terrier
(This is a response under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and disclosed on 05/02/24)