Freedom of Information request: digital device analysis

The request was partially successful.

Rowland Manthorpe

Hi there,

Under the Freedom of Information Act, could you please tell me:

1. How many of the following types of devices you have seized in the 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 calendar years:
* Mobile phones
* Desktop computers
* Laptop computers
* Tablets
* External hard drives or storage devices
* Other digital devices
(or if you do not break down devices into these categories please specify your own)

2. How many of the following types of devices have been subject to data extraction or some other kind of digital forensic investigation in the 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 calendar years:
* Mobile phones
* Desktop computers
* Laptop computers
* Tablets
* External hard drives or storage devices
* Other digital devices
(or if you do not break down devices into these categories please specify your own)

3. The purpose of the data extraction or digital forensic investigation – ie. if it was related to a particular type of crime. Please specify this as a number: ie. how many investigations were for one type of crime and how many for another type.

4. Please confirm how much has been spent on specialist hardware and software to facilitate digital forensic investigation activities in each calendar year. Please break this expenditure down by supplier / product.

Thanks for your time.

Yours faithfully,

Rowland Manthorpe

Freedom of Information Team, North Wales Police

2 Attachments

Dear Rowland Manthorpe,

Enquiry Ref: 2020/131

I acknowledge receipt of your Freedom of Information request.

 

As set out by the Freedom of Information Act, it will be our aim to
respond to your request by  02/03/2020.

If you have any questions regarding your request, please contact me.

Yours sincerely,

 

Helen Crowther

Swyddog Hawliau Gwybodaeth/Information Rights Officer

Safonau Gwybodaeth a Chydymffurfio/ Information Standards & Compliance

Chyllid a Adnoddau/Finance & Resources

Ffôn /Phone 01492 804437

Est/ Ext 04437

E.bost/ E.mail [1][email address]

 

[2]cid:image002.jpg@01D4D9AE.42746C10[3]cid:image003.jpg@01D4D9AE.42746C10 

 

Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn y Gymraeg a’r Saesneg – byddwn yn ymateb
yn gyfartal i’r ddau ac yn ateb yn eich dewis iaith heb oedi. 

We welcome correspondence in Welsh and English – we will respond equally
to both and will reply in your language of choice without delay.

 

 

Please note: we will process your personal data (i.e. your name, address,
email address, your request etc.) to record and respond to your freedom of
information request/s and provide cross-government advice, support and
co-ordination in responding to freedom of information requests. This data
will be held for two years, plus the current year.

[4]https://www.north-wales.police.uk/access...

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
4. https://www.north-wales.police.uk/access...

Freedom of Information Team, North Wales Police

4 Attachments

Dear Rowland Manthorpe,

 

Apologies for the lateness in being able to release our response to your
recent request for information.

 

Please find attached our reply.

 

I have also attached a copy of our review procedure should you not be
happy with our response.

 

Regards,

 

 

Helen Crowther

Swyddog Hawliau Gwybodaeth/Information Rights Officer

Safonau Gwybodaeth a Chydymffurfio/ Information Standards & Compliance

Chyllid a Adnoddau/Finance & Resources

Ffôn /Phone 01492 804437

Est/ Ext 04437

E.bost/ E.mail [1][email address]

 

[2]cid:image002.jpg@01D4D9AE.42746C10[3]cid:image003.jpg@01D4D9AE.42746C10 

 

Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn y Gymraeg a’r Saesneg – byddwn yn ymateb
yn gyfartal i’r ddau ac yn ateb yn eich dewis iaith heb oedi. 

We welcome correspondence in Welsh and English – we will respond equally
to both and will reply in your language of choice without delay.

 

 

 

Oeddech chi’n gwybod bod modd i chi gael mynediad i wybodaeth am Heddlu
Gogledd Cymru drwy Gynllun Cyhoeddi a Log Datgeliadau Heddlu Gogledd
Cymru?  Mae’r ddau ar gael drwy’r dolenni cyswllt isod:

 

Did you know you can access information about North Wales Police via the
North Wales Police Publication Scheme and the North Wales Police
Disclosure Log?  Both are available via the below links:

 

[4]http://www.north-wales.police.uk/accessi...

 

[5]https://www.north-wales.police.uk/access...

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
4. http://www.north-wales.police.uk/accessi...
5. https://www.north-wales.police.uk/access...

J Roberts left an annotation ()

HMICFRS - 1/12/22

Police forces overwhelmed and ineffective when it comes to digital forensics, new report finds

'During this inspection we found that, nationally, there were over 25,000 devices waiting for a digital forensic examination. In 2013, a smartphone stored on average 16GB of data, equivalent to about 15 books. Today’s smartphones can retain 128GB of data, equivalent to the books on about 90 metres of bookshelves. The sheer scale of the information held on mobile devices today presents one of the greatest challenges to law enforcement’s ability to secure and preserve evidence.'

https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/...

Circular 007/2022: Extraction of information from electronic devices

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...

'In the End-to-End Rape Review 2021, the government committed to ensuring that any digital information requested from victims would be strictly limited to what is necessary and proportionate, to allow reasonable lines of inquiry into alleged offence.'

Extraction of information from electronic devices – guidance for sanctioning officers

Published on 8 November 2022

https://www.college.police.uk/article/ex...

'Officers at the rank of inspector (known as a sanctioning officer) now need to make the decision about whether to approve an authorised person to extract information from an electronic device.

This can include (but is not limited to):

mobile phones
tablets
laptops

Authorised persons must have a reasonable line of enquiry and a belief that information is held on the device, the extraction of which is strictly necessary to pursue that line of enquiry.  In addition they must inform the device user of all aspects of the process. 

New digital processing notices (DPNs)have also been introduced and released to Home Office forces. These were developed by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) in collaboration with the College and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), with stakeholder consultation. The DPNs should be completed by the authorised person and signed off by a sanctioning officer.'
.....................................

Extraction of information from electronic devices – Sanctioning officer (code of practice)

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/s...

digital processing notices (DPNs) A,B (nformation note),C (device seized) and D (also device seized)

https://www.npcc.police.uk/FreedomofInfo...

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/n...