Freedom of Information request - Statistics and response times for Bewdley town centre (DY12 2AP)

Dear Miss Evans

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: RFI2175/1

I write in connection with your request for information dated and received
on 26th October 2009.

Your request will now be considered in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (the Act). You will receive a response within the
statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Act, subject to
the information not being exempt or containing a reference to a third
party. In some circumstances West Mercia Police may be unable to achieve
this deadline. If this is likely you will be informed and given a revised
time-scale at the earliest opportunity.

There may be a fee payable for the retrieval, collation and provision of the
information you request. If this is the case you will be informed and the 20
working day timescale will be suspended until we receive payment from you. If
you chose not to make payment then your request will remain unanswered.

Some requests may also require either full or partial transference to
another public authority in order to answer your query in the fullest
possible way. Again, you will be informed if this is the case.

Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please write
or telephone the Information Compliance Unit quoting the reference number
above.

Yours sincerely

Mrs SJ Cale

Information Compliance Assistant

Information Compliance Unit

Information Management & Technology Department

West Mercia Police

PO Box 55

Hindlip

Worcester

WR3 8SP

01905 331545 / 331565

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Dear Miss Evans

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: RFI 2175/1

I write in connection with your request for information which was dated
and received on 26^th October 2009. Please find below the response to
your request:

I would like to request the following under the Freedom of Information
Act. All of these information requests are based upon Bewdley town
centre.

1. Statistics for police response times, from all local police stations to
Bewdley town centre, regarding all calls for common assault, assault,
GBH, ABH and drunk and disorderly, in the year 2008 to present.

Reply: Using the criteria outlined in your question, a search was
conducted on the initial recorded type, as opposed to the closing codes,
as the later would not reflect the perception of the individual making the
call. The number of records that this search retrieved was 702.

To verify that this figure is accurate and to obtain the response times as
requested would require a manual search of each record. I have been
informed that to perform this task would take 3 minutes per record, which
includes setting up and transferring data to a suitable document. This
would entail an additional 35 hours of work over and above what this
request has already taken.

Therefore the cost of providing you with the information 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.

In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts
as a Refusal Notice for this part of your request as submitted.

2. Statistics for the amount of arrests made in Bewdley town centre for
common assault, assault, GBH, ABH and drunk and disorderly.

From the year 2008 to present.

3. Statistics for charges made for common assault, assault, GBH, ABH and
drunk and disorderly, from the arrests which were made in

Bewdley town centre. From the year 2008 to present.

4. Statistics for the arrests made in Bewdley town centre, which resulted
in no further action for the following; common assault assault, GBH, ABH
and drunk and disorderly. From the year 2008 to present.

Reply:

The below Data relates to arrests made for ABH Assault, GBH Assault,
Common Assault, Assault PC and Drunk and Disorderly within the Bewdley
Town Centre beat during the period 01 January 2008 - 04 November 2009.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by our
North Worcestershire Division is as accurate and comprehensive as
possible.

Your attention is drawn to the below which details your right of
complaint.

Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please write
or telephone the Information Compliance Unit quoting the reference number
above.

Yours sincerely

Mr B McDermott

Information Compliance Unit

Information Management and Technology Department

West Mercia Police

PO Box 55

Hindlip

Worcester

WR3 8SP

01905 331545 / 331565

West Mercia Police in complying with their statutory duty under sections 1
and 11 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to release the enclosed
information will not breach the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
However, the rights of the copyright owner of the enclosed information
will continue to be protected by law. Applications for the copyright
owner's written permission to reproduce any part of the attached
information should be addressed to The Force Solicitor, West Mercia Police
Headquarters, PO Box 55, Hindlip, Worcester, WR3 8SP.

COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think the
decision is incorrect?

You have the right to require West Mercia Police (WMP) to review their
decision.

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome and encouraged to
discuss the decision with the person that dealt with your request.

Ask to have the decision looked at again -

The quickest and easiest way to have the decision looked at again is to
telephone the person named at the end of your decision letter.

That person will be able to discuss the decision, explain any issues and
assist with any problems.

Complaint

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
WMP made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information, you can lodge a complaint with WMP to have the
decision reviewed. WMP must be notified of your intention to complain
within 2 months of the date of its response to your Freedom of Information
request. Complaints should be made in writing and addressed to:

West Mercia Police Headquarters

Information Management and Technology Department

Hindlip Hall

Hindlip

PO Box 55

Worcester

WR3 8SP

In all possible circumstances, WMP will aim to respond to your complaint
within 2 months.

The Information Commissioner

After lodging a complaint with WMP if you are still dissatisfied with the
decision you may make application 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
Alternatively, phone or write to:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Phone: 01625 545700

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