Download original attachment
(PDF file)
This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Homophobic hate crimes reported to police'.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Norfolk Constabulary 
M
  r N. Henderson 
Freedom of Information Department 
Jubilee House 
r
 equest-3790-c79cb574@whatdotheykno
4@whatdotheyknow.c
w om 
Falconers Chase 
 
 
Wymondham 
D
  ate: 14th
ate: 14  of November 2008 
Norfolk  NR18 0WW 
 
 
 
Tel:   01953 42 4487 
 
Fax:  01953 42 4080 
 
Email: [Norfolk Constabulary request email] 
 
www.norfolk.police.uk 
Non-Emergency Tel: 0845 456 4567 
 
 
 
Dear Mr Henderson 
 
Freedom of Information Request Reference No
Freedom of Information Request Reference N : FOI 476
o
/08 
 
I write in connection with your requ
I write in connection wit
est for information received by the Norfolk Constabulary.  I note 
you seek access to the f
you seek access to the ollowing info
 f
rmation: 
ollowing info
 
1.  The total number of homophobic hate crimes reported in the last year 
2.  The total number of homophobic hate crimes reported in the last three years 
3.  The total number of those hate crimes that were reported to the Crown Prosecution 
Service in the last year 
4.  The total number of those hate crimes that were reported to the Crown Prosecution 
Service in the last three years. 
 
I can confirm that information relevant to your request is 
I can confir
held
he  by the Norfolk Constabulary. 
rfolk Consta
 
Result of the Searches 
Result of th
to Locate Inf
e Searches 
ormation Re
to Locate Inf
levant to your Request. 
 
Information relevant to parts 1 and 2 of your request 
The Norfolk Constabulary has recently answered these questions following the submission of an 
earlier Freedom of Information request.  The response to that earlier request is published on the 
Disclosure Log section of our Force web-site and can be found via the following web-link: 
http://www.norfolk.police.uk/foi_disclosurelog.cfm?FOIDiscCatID=8&Year=2008&bctrail=0,540
 
The document in question can be found in the October 2008 section under the reference number 
FOI/452/08.  This document represents our response to these parts of your current request. 
 
Information relevant to parts 3 and 4 of your request 
The Partnerships Department of the Norfolk Constabulary has advised that the Crown Prosecution 
Service are made aware of incidents when advice is sought following the arrest or interview of a 
suspect. 
 
Consultations with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) are not recorded on the Norfolk 
Constabulary’s electronic crime recording systems by means of a simple ‘flag’ or a yes/no tick box, 
as a result we do not have the facility to conduct an automated search for the purposes of 
generated a statistical return of the number of recorded crimes that were referred to the CPS for 
advice. 
 
 
Individual case notes may contain specific references to consultations with the CPS.  The Norfolk 
Constabulary could conduct a manual examination of each recorded crime to ascertain whether 
there is a specific reference to consultations with the CPS within each case file.  The Partnerships 
Department has estimated that to conduct such a manual search would take in excess of 30 hours 
to complete. 
 
This would exceed the appropriate limit for dealing with Freedom of Information requests, in terms 
of costs, and therefore Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act applies. 
 
Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act states that a public authority is not obliged 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 Freedom of Information (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations, defines the ‘appropriate 
limit’ for the Norfolk Constabulary as £450, and specifies that this sum equates to 18 hours work at 
a standard rate of £25 per hour. 
 
In accordance with Section 17(5) of the Freedom of Information Act (2000), this letter serves as a 
Refusal Notice for this aspect of your request. 
 
 
However, we are able to advise that between the 1st of January 2008 and the 30th of September 
2008, our crime recording database indicates that a total of 14 detections were recorded against 
recorded crimes annotated with a homophobic hate crime marker, and a further 26 detections were 
recorded in the 2007 calendar year (an explanation of how crimes can be recorded as detections 
under the current Home Office counting rules can be found on the Home Office web-site: 
http://www.countingrules.homeoffice.gov.uk/output/page1.asp). 
 
All of the detected crimes referred to above will have been referred to the CPS as this is the policy 
of the Norfolk Constabulary.  Other incidents and recorded crimes may have been referred and 
advice sought from the CPS, which may have resulted in a decision to take no further action, in 
which case these crimes would not be recorded as detected and would not appear as part of the 
figure shown above relating to detections.   
 
 
I would like to thank you for your interest in the Norfolk Constabulary, and I can confirm that a copy 
of this response will be published in the “Disclosure Log” section of the Norfolk Constabulary’s 
web-site under the category “Crime Related Statistics”.  You can access the disclosure log via 
the following web-link: 
http://www.norfolk.police.uk/foi_disclosurelog.cfm?bctrail=0,540
 
Should you have any further queries concerning this request, please contact me quoting the 
reference number shown above. 
 
Yours sincerely, 
Richard Kindleysides 
Freedom of Information Department 
Norfolk Constabulary 
 
A full copy of the Freedom of Information Act (2000) can be viewed on the ‘Office of Public Sector 
Information’ web-site; 
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/
 
The Norfolk Constabulary is not responsible for the content, or the reliability, of the website referenced. The 
Constabulary cannot guarantee that this link will work all of the time, and we have no control over the 
availability of the linked pages. 
 
 
Your Right to Request a Review of Decisions Made Under the Terms of the Freedom of 
Information Act (2000).
 
If you are unhappy with how your request has been handled, or if you think the decision is 
incorrect, you have the right to ask the Norfolk Constabulary to review their decision. 
 
Prior to lodging a formal request for a review, you are welcome, and encouraged, to discuss the 
decision with the case officer that dealt with your request. 
 
Ask the Norfolk Constabulary to look at the decision again.
 
If you are dissatisfied with the decision made by the Norfolk Constabulary under the Freedom of 
Information Act (2000), regarding access to information, you must notify the Norfolk Constabulary 
that you are requesting a review within 2 months of the date of its response to your Freedom of 
Information request.  Requests for a review should be made in writing and addressed to: 
Freedom of Information Decision Maker 
Professional Standards Department 
Norfolk Constabulary 
Operations and Communications Centre 
Jubilee House 
Falconers Chase 
Wymondham 
Norfolk NR18 0WW 
 
In all possible circumstances the Norfolk Constabulary will aim to respond to your complaint within 
2 months. 
 
The Information Commissioner.
 
After lodging a request for a review with the Norfolk Constabulary, if you are still dissatisfied with 
the decision, you can apply to the Information Commissioner for a decision on whether the request 
for information has been dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the Act. 
 
For information on how to make application to the Information Commissioner please visit their 
website at www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk or contact them at the address shown below: 
The Information Commissioner’s Office 
Wycliffe House 
Water Lane 
Wilmslow 
Cheshire 
SK9 5AF 
Telephone: 01625 545 700