3^rd July 2009

Our ref: IOS 321-09

Mr Andrews

[email address]

Dear Mr Andrews

Thank you for your enquiry of 5 June asking for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. You request information on the number of convictions in either magistrates or at the Crown Court for assault on a police officer, specifically an officer from the Metropolitan police force, for the years 2006 to 2008.

The Court Proceedings Database (CPD) held by the Ministry of Justice holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales on a persons basis. These data include information on the age of the defendant, their gender, the police force area and court where proceedings took place as well as the specific offence and statute for the offence. The number of persons found guilty at all courts for assault on a constable in the Metropolitan police force area for 2006 and 2007 can be found in the attached table. Data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.

The CPD does not hold information on victims of offences beyond descriptions provided by the statutes under which prosecutions or convictions are brought. Therefore data reported centrally for `assault on a constable' do not identify the police force from which a victim of such an assault comes. Such detailed information is only held by the courts on individual case files, which, due to their size and complexity are not reported to the Office for Criminal Justice Reform.

If you are dissatisfied with the results of your request for information you may request an internal review of our handling of your request by submitting your complaint to the address below, quoting reference number 59898.

Data Access and Compliance Unit

Information Directorate

Ministry of Justice

6^th Floor, Zone C

102 Petty France

London SW1H 9AJ

During the independent review the department's handling of your information request will be reassessed by staff who were not involved in providing you with this response. Should you remain dissatisfied after this internal review, you will have a right of complaint to the Information Commissioner as established by section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act. You can contact the Information Commissioner's Office at the following address:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Internet: https://www.ico.gov.uk/Global/contact_us.aspx

Yours sincerely

Dave Perry

1

Evidence and Analysis unit (E&A)

Office for Criminal Justice Reform (OCJR)

Ministry of Justice

E: [email address]

Evidence and Analysis unit (E&A)

Office for Criminal justice Reform (OCJR)

Ministry of Justice

E: [email address]