Climate Camp policing costs

Response to this request is long overdue. By law, under all circumstances, Lothian and Borders Police should have responded by now (details). You can complain by requesting an internal review.

Michael MacLeod

Please treat the following questions as a Freedom of Information request.
I would like any response to be made electronically wherever possible in spreadsheet form.

This request aims to establish the costs to Lothian and Borders Police to ensure the safety of the Climate Camp protest against the Royal Bank of Scotland in Edinburgh in August.

Firstly, please state the operation's name and how many officers were involved throughout its course. Please provide a breakdown for each day if possible.

Secondly, please state the total budget incurred to police the protest and its various offshoot demonstrations, which were clearly seen to be linked by the Force in its own press releases.

The protest centred on RBS headquarters at Gogarburn. For this and and all other locations where police were deployed, please state state costs of:

*Preparations for the protests (meetings with other organisations)
*Equipment
*Overtime costs
*Extra officer/forces costs
*Dogs, horses and mounted vision costs
*Vehicle costs (extra vans/helicopters)
*Accommodation locations and costs for officers
*Recording the event (using video, stills cameras and other media)
*Clean-up costs (of equipment, vehicles or other police property)
*External communications and press relations
*Costs relating to other events in the city on the same day (sport, music or Festival events)

If the decision is made to withhold some of this data using exemptions in the act, please inform me of that fact and cite the exemptions used.

If you are only able to release some of the information I would ask that you release this data rather than withhold the entire set.

If you would like more clarification on this issue do not hesitate to contact me using this site - as I would expect to be contacted should you need any clarification.

Please can you confirm that you have received this request and I'd like to remind you that under the freedom of information act 2000 you are bound to respond in 20 days.

Kind regards,
Michael MacLeod
Beatblogger
guardian.co.uk/edinburgh
07855 515747

Lothian and Borders Police

Dear Mr MacLeod,

I confirm receipt of your Freedom of Information request and it has been given the reference FOI/E/544.

I note that you have stated you expect a response within 20 days of your request. Please note for the avoidance of doubt that under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 this is not 20 calendar days and is 20 working days.

Kind regards
Andrew Stafford
Force Information Unit
Lothian And Borders Police

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Lothian and Borders Police

Dear Mr MacLeod

Request for Information - Climate Camp Policing Costs

Thank you for your email, which has been dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. The operation name used in relation to the Climate Change Rally in Edinburgh is Octave. Unfortunately, I am unable to answer the rest of your questions at present as the operation is still ongoing. Consequently the information your have asked for, that is the total numbers of officers and total cost, is not yet known. This part of your request, therefore, falls under section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002: Information not held.

It will take some time before all costs (expenses etc) have been accounted for and I would therefore suggest that you re-apply for this information in about two month's time.

If you have any questions about the above or I can help in any other way, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me again. However, under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, you have the right to appeal if you are dissatisfied with the way in which we have dealt with your enquiry. This should be done within 40 working days of receiving this email. If you wish to appeal please contact Rachel Watson, Head of Force Information Unit, Lothian and Borders Police, Police Headquarters, Fettes Avenue, Edinburgh, EH4 1RB. Please note that subsequent to this internal review there is a right of appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner, Kinburn Castle, Doubledykes Road, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9DS.

Yours sincerely

Gabriella Trybalska
Force Information Unit
Lothian and Borders Police

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Dear Lothian & Borders Police,

I have submitted a seperate FOI in response to this.

Yours faithfully,

Michael MacLeod