Homophobic hate crimes reported to police

Corporate Information Management Department

Force Headquarters, PO Box 37, Valley Road, Portishead, Bristol, BS20 8QJ

Facsimile 01275 814667

27
October 2008

Private
Nick Henderson
[FOI #3771 email]

Dear Nick Henderson

Reference No: 08/545

Thank you for your request for information dated 24th October, concerning
homophobic hate crimes. This request will be dealt with under the terms
of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Your request will now be considered and 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 Avon and Somerset Constabulary 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 choose not to make a 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.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
Avon and Somerset Constabulary.

Yours sincerely,

Freedom of Information Officer

Freedom of Information Officer
Corporate Information Management Department

Please note;

1. Requests and responses may be published on Avon and
Somerset Constabulary's website (within 24 hours), some of which
may contain a link to additional information, which may provide
you with further clarification.

2. Whilst we may verbally discuss your request with you in
order to seek clarification, all other communication should be
made in writing.

3. Avon and Somerset Constabulary provides you with the right
to request a re-examination of your case under its review
procedure (copy enclosed).

<<A&S Appeals Procedure - E-Mail.doc>>

show quoted sections

Corporate Information Management Department

Force Headquarters, PO Box 37, Valley Road, Portishead, Bristol, BS20 8QJ

Facsimile 01275 814667

Private
27 November 2008

Nick Henderson
[FOI #3771 email]

Dear Nick Henderson

Reference No: 08/545

I write in connection with your request for information dated 24th October
2008 concerning homophobic hate crimes.

Your request for information has now been considered and the information
asked for has been provided below where an exemption does not apply.
Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires Avon and
Somerset Constabulary, 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.

You may wish to be aware that police forces in the United Kingdom are
routinely required to provide statistics to government bodies and the
recording criteria is set nationally. However, the systems used for
recording these figures are not generic, nor are the procedures used
locally in capturing the data. It should be noted that for these reasons
the figures given relate to information from the specific recording system
of the Avon and Somerset Constabulary and should not be used for
comparison purposes with any other response you receive.

1a the total number of homophobic hate crimes reported to you in
the last year
b the last three years

Financial year
2005/2006 172
2006/2007 157
2007/2008 152

2a the total number of those hate crimes that were reported to
the Crown Prosecution Service in the last year
b the last three years.

Your request has been considered and I am not obliged to supply the
information requested. A central record is not held of the number of
recorded homophobic hate crimes referred to the CPS, to provide you with a
response would involve examining every crime report to ascertain the
outcome of the investigation e.g. whether a decision was made for the
Police to charge the alleged offender, to refer the case to the CPS or to
take no further action. 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. It is estimated that it would cost at least £450 to
comply with your request.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
Avon and Somerset Constabulary.

Yours sincerely,

Freedom of Information Officer

Freedom of Information Officer
Corporate Information Management Department

Please note;

1. Requests and responses may be published on Avon and
Somerset Constabulary's website (within 24 hours), some of which
may contain a link to additional information, which may provide
you with further clarification.

2. Whilst we may verbally discuss your request with you in
order to seek clarification, all other communication should be
made in writing.

3. Avon and Somerset Constabulary provides you with the right
to request a re-examination of your case under its review
procedure (copy enclosed).

<<A&S Appeals Procedure - E-Mail.doc>>