Dog-related incidents 530/2024
FOI Reference: 530/2024
Request
Dog-Related Incidents Under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I am writing to request information from your police force regarding dog-related incidents reported during the following periods: 1st February 2022 – 1st May 2024 for each month
- Dog Attacks:
a. Please provide the total number of dog attacks reported during each of the specified periods.
b. For each reported dog attack, please provide:
-
- Location of the incident (e.g., home, public place).
- Breeds and age of dogs involved (if recorded) for each report.
- Relationship between the victim and the dog (e.g., owner, family member, stranger).
- Reports About Out-of-Control Dogs:
a. Please provide the total number of reports concerning out-of-control dogs during each of the specified periods.
b. For each report, please provide:
-
- Location of the incident (e.g., home, public place).
- Breeds and age of dogs involved (if recorded) for each report.
I understand that certain details might be redacted to protect the privacy of individuals involved. However, please provide as much information as possible within the constraints of applicable privacy laws.
Clarification:
The request relates to 999/101 calls.
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 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 relation to the whole request is not held in an easily retrievable format. This is due to the fact that all incidents recorded under the relevant categories would require individual interrogation in order to establish the requested information.
It would be anticipated that it would take 10 minutes to check each report to determine the information requested.
Such reports may be categorised as:
P-Animal
C-Assault
The below figures show the number of recorded reports for the specified years, along with the relevant time estimate, broken down month by month:-
Feb 2022:
P-Animal – 49 incidents = 8 hours
C-Assault – 291 incidents = 49 hours
Total = 56 hrs
March 2022:
P-Animal – 101 incidents = 17 hours
C-Assault – 333 incidents = 56 hours
Total = 73 hrs
April 2022:
P-Animal – 88 incidents = 15 hours
C-Assault – 361 incidents = 60 hours
Total = 65 hrs
May 2022:
P-Animal – 104 incidents = 17.3 hours
C-Assault – 399 incidents = 67 hours
Total = 84 hrs
June 2022:
P-Animal – incidents = 16 hours
C-Assault – 398 incidents = 66 hours
Total = 82 hrs
July 2022:
P-Animal – 93 incidents = 16 hours
C-Assault – 403 incidents = 67 hours
Total = 83 hrs
Aug 2022:
P-Animal – 117 incidents = 20 hours
C-Assault – 432 incidents = 72 hours
Total = 92 hrs
Sept 2022:
P-Animal – 64 incidents = 11 hours
C-Assault – 349 incidents = 58 hours
Total = 69 hrs
Oct 2022:
P-Animal – 63 incidents = 11 hours
C-Assault – 390 incidents = 65 hours
Total = 76 hrs
Nov 2022:
P-Animal – 42 incidents = 7 hours
C-Assault – 320 incidents = 53 hours
Total = 60 hrs
Dec 2022:
P-Animal – 56 incidents = 9 hours
C-Assault – 327 incidents = 55 hours
Total = 64 hrs
Jan 2023:
P-Animal – 70 incidents = 12 hours
C-Assault – 287 incidents = 48 hours
Total = 60 hrs
Feb 2023:
P-Animal – 73 incidents = 12 hours
C-Assault – 320 incidents = 53 hours
Total = 65 hrs
March 2023:
P-Animal – 63 incidents = 11 hours
C-Assault – 350 incidents = 58 hours
Total = 69 hrs
April 2023:
P-Animal – 87 incidents = 15 hours
C-Assault – 386 incidents = 64 hours
Total = 79 hrs
May 2023:
P-Animal – 97 incidents = 16 hours
C-Assault – 419 incidents = 70 hours
Total = 86 hrs
June 2023:
P-Animal – 128 incidents = 21 hours
C-Assault – 455 incidents = 76 hours
Total = 97 hrs
July 2023:
P-Animal – 112 incidents = 19 hours
C-Assault – 404 incidents = 67 hours
Total = 86 hrs
Aug 2023:
P-Animal – 133 incidents = 22 hours
C-Assault – 365 incidents = 61 hours
Total = 83 hrs
Sept 2023:
P-Animal – 126 incidents = 21 hours
C-Assault – 394 incidents = 66 hours
Total = 87 hrs
Oct 2023:
P-Animal – 81 incidents = 14 hours
C-Assault – 389 incidents = 65 hours
Total = 79 hrs
Nov 2023:
P-Animal – 89 incidents = 15 hours
C-Assault – 312 incidents = 52 hours
Total = 67 hrs
Dec 2023:
P-Animal – 79 incidents = 13 hours
C-Assault – 347 incidents = 58 hours
Total = 71 hrs
Jan 2024:
P-Animal – 114 incidents = 19 hours
C-Assault – 325 incidents = 54 hours
Total = 73 hrs
Feb 2024:
P-Animal – 105 incidents = 18 hours
C-Assault – 304 incidents = 51 hours
Total = 69 hrs
March 2024:
P-Animal – 80 incidents = 13 hours
C-Assault – 345 incidents = 58 hours
Total = 71 hrs
April 2024:
P-Animal – 93 incidents = 16 hours
C-Assault – 347 incidents = 58 hours
Total = 74 hrs
Time estimated for whole request= 2,020 hours
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. Should you require any further advice in relation to this matter please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Please also be advised that should the request be refined, it does not remove the Force’s right to cite exemptions if relevant.
(This is a response under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and disclosed on 28/06/2024)