Computer aided dispatch 710/2025

FOI Reference: 710/2025

Request

Computer-Aided Dispatch

1) Please specify the name and version of the Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) software currently deployed and actively utilised by your force.

2) Does the aforementioned CAD software incorporate functionality designed to identify the closest available unit to an incident location?

3) If such functionality exists, is it actively deployed and routinely utilised by your force in dispatch operations?

4) If such functionality exists, is your force aware of the methodology employed to calculate unit proximity (e.g., straight-line distance, travel distance, estimated travel time, or other algorithms)? Please specify the calculation method if known.

Response Officers

5) As of the most recent figures available, please specify the total Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) number of warranted police officers within your force. Additionally, please provide the effective date of these figures.

6) From the total number of warranted police officers specified in response to Question 5, please delineate the number of officers whose primary designated operational role is responding to emergency calls for service (commonly referred to as 'response officers').

7) With respect to the 'response officers' identified in response to Question 6, please provide the average number of such officers typically on duty at any given time. If disaggregated data is available for specific operational timeframes (e.g., peak demand periods, night shifts), kindly provide this breakdown.

Response Q1

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

STORMMA

Response Q2

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

Yes

Response Q3

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

It is inbuilt into the system.

It is used everyday to send the nearest unit, to the correct location within the correct timeframe.

Response Q4

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

Straight line

Response Q5

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

1321 (As of 22/07/2025)

Response Q6

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

489 (As of 22/07/2025)

Response Q7

Unfortunately, we cannot disclose information on how many Response Officers are on duty and also supporting Officers by virtue of s31(1) Law Enforcement:

Evidence of Harm: To disclose the number of Officers working in a specific location could cause harm to the Police service’s ability to protect the public it serves and could prejudice its ability to perform core functions such as the prevention and detection of crime. Releasing refined data on staffing levels could provide individuals with criminal intent the intelligence required to disrupt police activity and target innocent members of the public. People with criminal intent could use the data to help increase criminal activity around the county and country as a whole. If criminals or terrorists were aware of such low Officers’ numbers on duty would they be more likely to commit crime in this area and will officers be more likely exposed to risk. Low numbers combined with specific locations create the most risk. 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.

Factors Favouring Disclosure: The disclosure of this information would adhere to the general principle of openness and transparency and better inform the public about how public funds are spent, better awareness which may reduce crime or lead to more information from the public.

Factors Favouring Non-Disclosure: The disclosure of this information would undermine law enforcement resulting in more crime being committed. This would have an impact on Police resources and place individuals and the general public at risk. Patterns could be drawn which would enable those intent on criminal activities to strategically plan offences based on this data. The force would then be required to adapt its methods in order to continue to prevent and detect crime.

Balancing Test: The Police Service is tasked with enforcing the law and protecting the community we serve and there is a public interest argument in ensuring we are open and transparent. However, the disclosure of police resources which would harm the ability of Dyfed-Powys Police to prevent and detect crime is a more influential reason. It is therefore my opinion that the balance lies in favour of non disclosure of the information at this time

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 27/08/2025)