Police staff misconduct 1237/2025

FOI Reference: 1237/2025

Request:

1) The number of internal staff investigations opened in each of the past five calendar years.

2) A breakdown of the type of allegations investigated (e.g. misconduct, harassment, discrimination, corruption, data breaches, inappropriate use of technology).

3) The number of investigations that resulted in:

- disciplinary action

- dismissal

- no further action

4) The average time taken to conclude staff investigations in each of the past five years.

5) The number of complaints made against police staff by:

- Colleagues (Police Staff)

- Colleagues (Police Officers)

- Members of the public

- External agencies

6) Details of which department or unit is responsible for investigating police staff misconduct.

7) The number of police staff investigations in the past five years which involved referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct

8) The number of appeals lodged against disciplinary decisions and the outcome of those appeals.

9) Copies of any current policies or procedures relating to the investigation of police staff misconduct.

For the avoidance of doubt, police staff refers to staff employed who are not police officers.

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 396 hours) to comply with this part of your request. The regulations can be located @ https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2004/3244

The Freedom of Information department has been advised that the information in respect of Question 5 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 manually reviewing all complaints.

It has been established that there is between 800-1000 complaints a year that would need to be reviewed.  It has also been established that it would take between 5-10 minutes per file to identify the information requested.  The process outlined results in the below time estimate (based on the minimum number of complaints per year and the minimum search time).

800 complaints x 5 minutes = 66 hours

x6 years = 396 hours

Time estimate to complete task = 396 hours

Questions 1-4 & 6-9

The relevant departments have advised that a response can be provided within the appropriate time limit, i.e. 18 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.                                            

(This is a response under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and disclosed on 07/01/2026)