Islington Police Station

The request was refused by Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

Dear Metropolitan Police Service (MPS),

with regards to the Islington Police Station (Tolpuddle Street, N1), please could you provide the number of complaints that have been made, in 2018, and in 2019 to date, regarding the Front Counter at that police station.
In particular, I am interested in complaints about long waiting times, or staff present in the customer facing area of the station, but not attending to people waiting at the Front Counter, though I appreciate you may not statistically categorize complaints to that level. Therefore please provide the number for all complaints on front counter services at Islington Police Station or, if that is not easily ascertainable and would require you to look through all the individual complaints, please just provide the number (for the above timeframe) of all complaints about Islington Police Station.

Please also provide the anonymized full text of all complaints that were statistically categorized as above and make up the number requested in the first part of this requst.

Yours faithfully,

Natasha Jackson

Cyclops on behalf of Gary Quan, Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

1 Attachment

 

OFFICIAL SENSITIVE

     

 

 

 

 

 

Information Rights Unit
PO Box 57192
  London
SW6 1SF
  United Kingdom

  Our Ref: 01/FOI/19/001808

  Date: 10/04/2019

   

 

 

 

Dear Ms Jackson

 

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 01/FOI/19/001808

I write in connection with your request for information which was received
by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 26/03/2019.  I note you seek
access to the following information:

 

with regards to the Islington Police Station (Tolpuddle Street, N1),
please could you provide the number of complaints that have been made, in
2018, and in 2019 to date, regarding the Front Counter at that police
station.
In particular, I am interested in complaints about long waiting times, or
staff present in the customer facing area of the station, but not
attending to people waiting at the Front Counter, though I appreciate you
may not statistically categorize complaints to that level. Therefore
please provide the number for all complaints on front counter services at
Islington Police Station or, if that is not easily ascertainable and would
require you to look through all the individual complaints, please just
provide the number (for the above timeframe) of all complaints about
Islington Police Station.

 

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.  

 

If you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please contact
us at [email address] or on the phone at 0207 161 3500, quoting the
reference number above. Should your enquiry relate to the logging or
allocations process we will be able to assist you directly and where your
enquiry relates to other matters (such as the status of the request) we
will be able to pass on a message and/or advise you of the relevant
contact details.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

Gary Quan

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 the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

 

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome to discuss the
response with the case officer who dealt with your request.  

 

Complaint

 

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.

 

Complaints should be made in writing, within forty (40) working days from
the date of the refusal notice, and addressed to:

 

FOI Complaint

Information Rights Unit

PO Box 57192

London

SW6 1SF

[email address]

 

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 20 working days.

 

The Information Commissioner

 

After lodging a complaint with the MPS 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.ico.org.uk.  Alternatively, write to or
phone:

 

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Phone: 0303 123 1113

Consider our environment - please do not print this email unless
absolutely necessary.

NOTICE - This email and any attachments may be confidential, subject to
copyright and/or legal privilege and are intended solely for the use of
the intended recipient. If you have received this email in error, please
notify the sender and delete it from your system.  To avoid incurring
legal liabilities, you must not distribute or copy the information in this
email without the permission of the sender. MPS communication systems are
monitored to the extent permitted by law.  Consequently, any email and/or
attachments may be read by monitoring staff. Only specified personnel are
authorised to conclude any binding agreement on behalf of the MPS by
email. The MPS accepts no responsibility for unauthorised agreements
reached with other employees or agents.  The security of this email and
any attachments cannot be guaranteed. Email messages are routinely scanned
but malicious software infection and corruption of content can still occur
during transmission over the Internet. Any views or opinions expressed in
this communication are solely those of the author and do not necessarily
represent those of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

 

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Cyclops on behalf of Mike Lyng, Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

1 Attachment

 

OFFICIAL SENSITIVE

     

 

 

 

 

 

Information Rights Unit
PO Box 57192
  London
SW6 1SF
  United Kingdom

  Our Ref: 01/FOI/19/001808

  Date: 23/04/2019

   

 

 

 

Dear Ms Jackson

 

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 01/FOI/19/001808

I write in connection with your request for information which was received
by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 26/03/2019.  I note you seek
access to the following information:

 

with regards to the Islington Police Station (Tolpuddle Street, N1),
please could you provide the number of complaints that have been made, in
2018, and in 2019 to date, regarding the Front Counter at that police
station. 
In particular, I am interested in complaints about long waiting times, or
staff present in the customer facing area of the station, but not
attending to people waiting at the Front Counter, though I appreciate you
may not statistically categorize complaints to that level. Therefore
please provide the number for all complaints on front counter services at
Islington Police Station or, if that is not easily ascertainable and would
require you to look through all the individual complaints, please just
provide the number (for the above timeframe) of all complaints about
Islington Police Station.

Please also provide the anonymized full text of all complaints that were
statistically categorized as above and make up the number requested in the
first part of this requst.

 

Your request has been forwarded to our Performance & Assurance Unit (PAU),
who prepare statistical data for the MPS. Unfortunately, due to high
demand and staff workloads the PAU are unable to provide me with a date
for turnaround for the requested data. 

In the circumstances I am unable to prepare a response to your request
until I receive the data from the PAU.

I can only apologise for the delay to your request and will update you
again in 2 weeks time on the 8th May 2019.

 

 

Yours sincerely

  

Mr Lyng

Information Manager

 

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 the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

 

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome to discuss the
response with the case officer who dealt with your request.  

 

Complaint

 

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.

 

Complaints should be made in writing, within forty (40) working days from
the date of the refusal notice, and addressed to:

 

FOI Complaint

Information Rights Unit

PO Box 57192

London

SW6 1SF

[email address]

 

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 20 working days.

 

The Information Commissioner

 

After lodging a complaint with the MPS 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.ico.org.uk.  Alternatively, write to or
phone:

 

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Phone: 0303 123 1113

Consider our environment - please do not print this email unless
absolutely necessary.

NOTICE - This email and any attachments may be confidential, subject to
copyright and/or legal privilege and are intended solely for the use of
the intended recipient. If you have received this email in error, please
notify the sender and delete it from your system.  To avoid incurring
legal liabilities, you must not distribute or copy the information in this
email without the permission of the sender. MPS communication systems are
monitored to the extent permitted by law.  Consequently, any email and/or
attachments may be read by monitoring staff. Only specified personnel are
authorised to conclude any binding agreement on behalf of the MPS by
email. The MPS accepts no responsibility for unauthorised agreements
reached with other employees or agents.  The security of this email and
any attachments cannot be guaranteed. Email messages are routinely scanned
but malicious software infection and corruption of content can still occur
during transmission over the Internet. Any views or opinions expressed in
this communication are solely those of the author and do not necessarily
represent those of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

 

Find us at:

Facebook: [1]https://m.facebook.com/metpoliceuk

Twitter: @metpoliceuk

References

Visible links
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Cyclops on behalf of Mike Lyng, Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

1 Attachment

 

Official Sensitive

     

 

 

 

Dear Ms Jackson

 

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 01/FOI/19/001808

 

Further to my earlier email, I can confirm your case is still in progress
as  I am awaiting a response from the Performance & Assurance Unit who
prepare statistical data for the MPS.

The delay has been caused by staff numbers and workload.

I will update you again in 2 weeks on the 22nd May and apologise for the
delay.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Mr Lyng

 

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 the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

 

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome to discuss the
response with the case officer who dealt with your request.  

 

Complaint

 

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.

 

Complaints should be made in writing, within forty (40) working days from
the date of the refusal notice, and addressed to:

 

FOI Complaint

Information Rights Unit

PO Box 57192

London

SW6 1SF

[email address]

 

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 20 working days.

 

The Information Commissioner

 

After lodging a complaint with the MPS 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.ico.org.uk.  Alternatively, write to or
phone:

 

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Phone: 0303 123 1113

Consider our environment - please do not print this email unless
absolutely necessary.

NOTICE - This email and any attachments may be confidential, subject to
copyright and/or legal privilege and are intended solely for the use of
the intended recipient. If you have received this email in error, please
notify the sender and delete it from your system.  To avoid incurring
legal liabilities, you must not distribute or copy the information in this
email without the permission of the sender. MPS communication systems are
monitored to the extent permitted by law.  Consequently, any email and/or
attachments may be read by monitoring staff. Only specified personnel are
authorised to conclude any binding agreement on behalf of the MPS by
email. The MPS accepts no responsibility for unauthorised agreements
reached with other employees or agents.  The security of this email and
any attachments cannot be guaranteed. Email messages are routinely scanned
but malicious software infection and corruption of content can still occur
during transmission over the Internet. Any views or opinions expressed in
this communication are solely those of the author and do not necessarily
represent those of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

 

Find us at:

Facebook: [1]https://m.facebook.com/metpoliceuk

Twitter: @metpoliceuk

References

Visible links
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Cyclops on behalf of Mike Lyng, Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

2 Attachments

 

Official Sensitive

     

 

 

 

Dear Ms Jackson

 

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 01/FOI/19/001808

 

Please see the attached in respect of your Freedom of Information request
referenced above.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Mr Lyng

 

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 the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

 

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome to discuss the
response with the case officer who dealt with your request.  

 

Complaint

 

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.

 

Complaints should be made in writing, within forty (40) working days from
the date of the refusal notice, and addressed to:

 

FOI Complaint

Information Rights Unit

PO Box 57192

London

SW6 1SF

[email address]

 

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 20 working days.

 

The Information Commissioner

 

After lodging a complaint with the MPS 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.ico.org.uk.  Alternatively, write to or
phone:

 

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Phone: 0303 123 1113

Consider our environment - please do not print this email unless
absolutely necessary.

NOTICE - This email and any attachments may be confidential, subject to
copyright and/or legal privilege and are intended solely for the use of
the intended recipient. If you have received this email in error, please
notify the sender and delete it from your system.  To avoid incurring
legal liabilities, you must not distribute or copy the information in this
email without the permission of the sender. MPS communication systems are
monitored to the extent permitted by law.  Consequently, any email and/or
attachments may be read by monitoring staff. Only specified personnel are
authorised to conclude any binding agreement on behalf of the MPS by
email. The MPS accepts no responsibility for unauthorised agreements
reached with other employees or agents.  The security of this email and
any attachments cannot be guaranteed. Email messages are routinely scanned
but malicious software infection and corruption of content can still occur
during transmission over the Internet. Any views or opinions expressed in
this communication are solely those of the author and do not necessarily
represent those of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

 

Find us at:

Facebook: [1]https://m.facebook.com/metpoliceuk

Twitter: @metpoliceuk

References

Visible links
1. https://m.facebook.com/metpoliceuk

Natasha Jackson

Dear Mr Lyng,
thanks for your message.
I just wanted to clarify something regarding your s12 refusal. Your clarification will allow me to better understand the reasoning for the refusal notice, so this really falls within s16. For the avoidance of doubt, I'm not asking for an Internal Review at this stage.

I understand of course that if you had to look through all the complaints records for all potentially relevant staff members, this would take you far above the cost limit.

But how does the BCU record complaints that are made about a police station generally?
For example, let's say someone complains that "I attended the station during its opening hours but it took 90 minutes until I could finally speak to someone at the counter"? Or, let's say, someone complains that the police station's public waiting area is dirty or not well maintained or...? (These are hypothetical examples but I would be surprised if you never got these complaints).

Surely these could not be recorded against an individual police officer or staff, and would have to be somehow recorded as relating to Islington Police Station in general? Or how does the complaints recording system deal with this - are they automatically recorded against the officer in charge of the station at a given day?

Yours sincerely,

Natasha Jackson

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

Dear Ms Jackson, thank you for your email. I can advise that I work for the Information Rights Unit. We are a centrally based unit dealing with all MPS FOI requests covering all business areas. I do not have the specific knowledge you are seeking and therefore cannot provide an opinion. However, I will make some enquiries for you and get back to you by next week.

Yours sincerely

Mr Lyng

show quoted sections

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

Dear Ms Jackson, further to my earlier email I can now provide you with the following advice and assistance.

YOUR COMMENT: But how does the BCU record complaints that are made about a police station generally?
For example, let's say someone complains that "I attended the station during its opening hours but it took 90 minutes until I could finally speak to someone at the counter"? Or, let's say, someone complains that the police station's public waiting area is dirty or not well maintained or...? (These are hypothetical examples but I would be surprised if you never got these complaints).

ADVICE: I can advise that some complaints are dealt with by the duty Inspector at the time with the person, these are not ‘logged’ and therefore for the purpose of the FOI Act this would not be 'held' information. However a person can make a public complaint that is recorded by the DPS via the phone, in person and on the internet. It therefore remains the case that it will exceed the appropriate threshold of 18 hours to determine if held, locate and extract information pertinent to your original request.

YOUR COMMENT: Surely these could not be recorded against an individual police officer or staff, and would have to be somehow recorded as relating to Islington Police Station in general? Or how does the complaints recording system deal with this - are they automatically recorded against the officer in charge of the station at a given day?

ADVICE: I can advise that complaints are about the police rather than the place, this is how they are logged. It therefore remains the case that it will exceed the appropriate threshold of 18 hours to determine if held, locate and extract information pertinent to your original request.

I hope you find this advice and assistance helpful.

Yours sincerely

Mr Lyng
Information Manager

Consider our environment - please do not print this email unless absolutely necessary.

NOTICE - This email and any attachments may be confidential, subject to copyright and/or legal privilege and are intended solely for the use of the intended recipient. If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender and delete it from your system. To avoid incurring legal liabilities, you must not distribute or copy the information in this email without the permission of the sender. MPS communication systems are monitored to the extent permitted by law.

Consequently, any email and/or attachments may be read by monitoring staff. Only specified personnel are authorised to conclude any binding agreement on behalf of the MPS by email. The MPS accepts no responsibility for unauthorised agreements reached with other employees or agents. The security of this email and any attachments cannot be guaranteed. Email messages are routinely scanned but malicious software infection and corruption of content can still occur during transmission over the Internet. Any views or opinions expressed in this communication are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

Find us at:

https://m.facebook.com/metpoliceuk

Twitter: @metpoliceuk