Cost of purchasing TASERS 529/2024

FOI Reference: 529/2024

Request:

1a) For the financial year 2023 – 2024, please provide the total number of taser guns purchased by the force, and separately, the total number of taser cartridges purchased.

1b) How much money in GBP did the force spend on purchasing tasers, Conducted Energy Devices or equivalent, and taser cartridges in the financial year 2023 – 2024? Please separate this data in to the total spent on taser guns, and the total spent on cartridges, if possible please.

2a) For the financial year 2022 – 2023, please provide the total number of taser guns purchased by the force, and separately, the total number of taser cartridges purchased.

2b) How much money in GBP did the force spend on purchasing tasers, Conducted Energy Devices or equivalent, and taser cartridges in the financial year 2022 – 2023? Please separate this data in to the total spent on taser guns, and the total spent on cartridges, if possible please.

3a) For the financial year 2021 – 2022, please provide the total number of taser guns purchased by the force, and separately, the total number of taser cartridges purchased.

3b) How much money in GBP did the force spend on purchasing tasers, Conducted Energy Devices or equivalent, and taser cartridges in the financial year 2021 – 2022? Please separate this data in to the total spent on taser guns, and the total spent on cartridges, if possible please.

Clarification:

For clarity, I would like to know how many tasers you bought in the relevant FY, how many cartridges you bought, and the total cost of these for each FY specified.

 

Response 1a, 2a & 3a

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

Response 1 a) - For the financial year 23/24 Heddlu Dyfed Powys Police did not purchase any CEDi devices (They are not guns).  The Force purchased 950 Soft Contact Cartridges and 1650 FT Smart Cartridges both these are used for training purposes.  The total number of live cartridges was 1050 distributed across the force including training. 

Response 2 a) - For the financial year 22/23 Heddlu Dyfed Powys Police did not purchase any CEDi devices.  The Force purchased 700 Soft Contact Cartridges and 2,550 FT Smart Cartridges both these are used for training purposes.  The total number of live cartridges was 0. 

Response 3 a) - For the financial year 21/22 Heddlu Dyfed Powys Police did not purchase any CEDi devices.  The Force purchased 1000 Soft Contact Cartridges and 2000 FT Smart Cartridges 24 Inert simulation Cartridges all these are used for training purposes.  The total number of live cartridges was 0. 

Response 1b, 2b  and 3b:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, however we are withholding that information since we consider that the following exemption applies to it:

Section 43(2) Commercial Interests

 “(2) Information is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice commercial interests of any person (including the public authority holding it).”

This is a qualified and class based exemption. As a class based exemption, legislators have already accepted the harm in release of this class of information. As a consequence there is no requirement to evidence the harm in disclosing such information. However, as the exemption is a qualified exemption there is a requirement to apply the public interest test, as detailed below.

Public Interest Test:

Considerations Favouring Disclosure:

There is a requirement to provide to the general public a better understanding of how public funds are spent. One of the underlying principles of the Act is the need for openness and transparency. In this case, there is a public interest in establishing that Dyfed-Powys Police has negotiated a competitive rate in relation to the purchase of tasers and cartridges.

Considerations Favouring Non-Disclosure:

In this case, to release details in relation to the amount spent on  tasers and cartridges would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of the current supplier by adversely affecting its bargaining position during contractual negotiations which would result in the less effective use of public money.

To provide details in relation to the contract value and/or the cost of devices would not only prejudice the commercial interests of the company/supplier but also that of Dyfed-Powys Police, as the release of this information may also affect the competitiveness of the contract which in turn would affect the relationship the force has with those companies/suppliers or individuals which could result in civil action from a third party. Furthermore, disclosing the amount spent may prohibit Dyfed-Powys Police from being able to negotiate a contract that is of maximum benefit.

Balancing Test:

When balancing the public interest test we have to consider whether the information should be released into the public domain. Advantages and disadvantages of disclosure need to be weighed against each other. In this case there is the use of public funds favouring disclosure which needs to be weighed against the damage that would occur to any ongoing or future tender process and the commercial interests of third parties.

By releasing the requested information the commercial interests of a business and individuals may be compromised including that of Dyfed-Powys Police, along with the relationship that Dyfed-Powys Police has with that company/supplier or persons. Therefore, the factor favouring non-disclosure, which is damage would occur to any future tender process and the commercial interests of third parties outweighs the factor favouring disclosure, which is better understanding of how public funds are spent.

As such, the public interest favours non-disclosure of the information at this time. Therefore in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

                                                        

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 10/07/2024)