Number of hours per annum supporting RSPCA

Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner did not have the information requested.

Dear Essex Police and Crime Commissioner,

For the period 2013-15, could you please provide a breakdown of the
total number of hours per annum, police officers spend supporting
investigations and prosecutions under the Animal Welfare Act?
Specifically:

1. Attending RSPCA interviews
2. Attending premises with RSPCA personnel prior to animal seizure
3. Attending premises with RSPCA personnel to effect seizure
4. Writing statements for use in Magistrates' Court
5. Attending Magistrates' Court
6. Attending Crown or High Court in cases of Appeal

Yours faithfully,

R Peel

Police and Crime Commissioner Essex,

1 Attachment

As Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), I oversee Essex Police and have
responsibility for ensuring that the police force is efficient, effective
and fair.

 

My office will aim to reply to all correspondence within 20 working days,
and will inform you if it is not possible to respond in full within this
period.

 

If your enquiry is about an operational policing matter, then it will be
passed to Essex Police for them to respond to you directly.

 

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Police. Please follow hyperlink below:-

 

[1]http://www.essex.police.uk/contact_us/co...

 

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References

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1. http://www.essex.police.uk/contact_us/co...

Data FOI Essex,

1 Attachment

Thank you for your enquiry which has been passed to Essex Police as it
relates to an operational policing matter and the PCC’s office don’t hold
the information requested. It has been logged under the above reference.

Under the Freedom of Information Act we are required to reply within 20
working days.  The Act does not specify a limit to the number of
information requests a public authority may receive or the number of
requests or questions an applicant may submit.  However, there are
exemptions in the Act that can apply and these include where the cost of
complying with the request would extend beyond the reasonable cost limit,
(currently 18 hours or £450), or if the request is otherwise manifestly
unreasonable in its scope or nature.  Requests that ask a great many
questions, or a number of detailed requests submitted at the same time,
may make it necessary for Essex Police to refuse the requests wholly or in
part.

 

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has responsibility for
providing oversight and guidance for the legislation and they have
produced advice for applicants on submitting effective requests.  Further
information can be found on the Commissioner’s website at
[1]www.ico.gov.uk specific information relating to submitting a request
can be found at:
[2]https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/offici...

 

While we process your request, please take the time to consider the ICO’s
advice and whether you feel it may be beneficial to amend or refine your
request. Our team is happy to discuss your request with you and will be
able to provide advice as to what kind of information will be available
from Essex Police.

 

 

Steve Grayton

Senior Information Officer

Data Protection & Freedom of Information

Information Management

Corporate Services

Essex Police Headquarters

PO Box 2, Springfield, Chelmsford, CM2 6DA

 

Internal extension 150044

External Dial 101 then ext.150044

Data Protection / FOI Team direct dial: 01245 452647

Fax: 01245 452256 Internal 150045

Email : [email address]

Personal email: [email address]

Website: www.essex.police.uk

 

Office hours: Mon-Thur 8:00 - 16:00, Fri 8:00 - 15:30

 

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your FOI request, you have
the right to ask for an internal review.

 

Internal review requests should be submitted within 20 working days of the
date of receipt of the response to your original request and should be
addressed to the Senior Information Officer at the above address or by
email to: [3][email address]

 

They will conduct an internal review to investigate the handling of your
request and endeavour to reply within 20 working days. If your complaint
refers to a decision to apply an exemption it would assist the review if
you would outline the reasons why you feel the exemption does not apply.

 

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information
Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF or via [4]https://ico.org.uk/

 

 

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Tina Bateman 42075799,

1 Attachment

Dear R Peel,

 

We acknowledge the receipt of your Freedom of Information (FOI) request
dated 11 November 2015, which has been recorded in accordance with our
procedures.

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner does not hold the
information you have requested but it may be held by Essex Police.

 

FOI legislation allows for the transfer of FOI requests with the agreement
of the applicant but rather than delay your request, and create more work
for you in providing that agreement, we have transferred your request in
the expectation you will be happy for that transfer to take place in an
effort to answer your question (s).

 

I hope that is in accordance with your wishes but please let us know if
you do not wish that transfer to take place.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Tina Bateman

 

Performance and Scrutiny officer

Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex

3 Hoffmanns Way | Chelmsford | Essex CM1 1GU | T: 01245 291600 | Internal:
161600

Email: [1][Essex PCC request email]

Web: [2]http://www.essex.pcc.police.uk/

Twitter: @EssexPCC

 

Come along to our public meetings, details here:
[3]http://www.essex.pcc.police.uk/events/

 

Get support and information from the new Victims Gateway:
[4]http://www.essexvictimsgateway.org/

 

 

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Dear Ms Bateman

Many thanks for your help and I am grateful that you have forwarded my request.

Yours sincerely,

R Peel

Data FOI Essex,

1 Attachment

Thank you for your enquiry which has been logged under the above
reference. Having completed my enquiries I am able to respond as follows:

Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) places two duties
on public authorities. Unless exemptions apply, the first duty at
Sec1(1)(a) is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in a
request is held. The second duty at Sec1(1)(b) is to disclose information
that has been confirmed as being held. Where exemptions are relied upon
s17 of FOIA requires that we provide the applicant with a notice which: a)
states that fact b) specifies the exemption(s) in question and c) states
(if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.

In respect of your enquiry:

For the period 2013-15, could you please provide a breakdown of the total
number of hours per annum, police officers spend supporting investigations
and prosecutions under the Animal Welfare Act?

Specifically:

1. Attending RSPCA interviews

2. Attending premises with RSPCA personnel prior to animal seizure

3. Attending premises with RSPCA personnel to effect seizure

4. Writing statements for use in Magistrates' Court

5. Attending Magistrates' Court

6. Attending Crown or High Court in cases of Appeal

 

Essex Police does not hold information relating to your request.

 

We do not record the information requested. Investigations generally take
place during officers normal duty times but they are not required to
record the time spent etc.  relating to individual investigations.

 

I am sorry we are unable to assist on the occasion.

 

Steve Grayton

Senior Information Officer
Data Protection & Freedom of Information
Information Management
Corporate Services
Essex Police Headquarters
PO Box 2, Springfield, Chelmsford, CM2 6DA

 

Internal extension 150044
External Dial 101 then ext.150044
Data Protection / FOI Team direct dial: 01245 452647
Fax: 01245 452256 Internal 150045
Email : [1][email address]
Personal email: [2][email address]
Website: [3]www.essex.police.uk

Office hours: Mon-Thur 8:00 - 16:00, Fri 8:00 - 15:30

[4]http://web/departments/mediaandpr/pr/Cre...

 

 

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your FOI request, you have
the right to ask for an internal review.

 

Internal review requests should be submitted within 20 working days of the
date of receipt of the response to your original request and should be
addressed to the Senior Information Officer at the above address or by
email to: [5][email address]

 

They will conduct an internal review to investigate the handling of your
request and endeavour to reply within 20 working days. If your complaint
refers to a decision to apply an exemption it would assist the review if
you would outline the reasons why you feel the exemption does not apply.

 

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information
Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF or via [6]https://ico.org.uk/

From: Data FOI Essex
Sent: 12 November 2015 08:53
To: '[FOI #301739 email]'
Subject: FOI request our ref. 7965 Number of hours per annum supporting
RSPCA

Thank you for your enquiry which has been passed to Essex Police as it
relates to an operational policing matter and the PCC’s office don’t hold
the information requested. It has been logged under the above reference.

Under the Freedom of Information Act we are required to reply within 20
working days. The Act does not specify a limit to the number of
information requests a public authority may receive or the number of
requests or questions an applicant may submit. However, there are
exemptions in the Act that can apply and these include where the cost of
complying with the request would extend beyond the reasonable cost limit,
(currently 18 hours or £450), or if the request is otherwise manifestly
unreasonable in its scope or nature. Requests that ask a great many
questions, or a number of detailed requests submitted at the same time,
may make it necessary for Essex Police to refuse the requests wholly or in
part.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has responsibility for
providing oversight and guidance for the legislation and they have
produced advice for applicants on submitting effective requests. Further
information can be found on the Commissioner’s website at
[7]www.ico.gov.uk specific information relating to submitting a request
can be found at:
[8]https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/offici...

While we process your request, please take the time to consider the ICO’s
advice and whether you feel it may be beneficial to amend or refine your
request. Our team is happy to discuss your request with you and will be
able to provide advice as to what kind of information will be available
from Essex Police.

Steve Grayton

Senior Information Officer

Data Protection & Freedom of Information

Information Management

Corporate Services

Essex Police Headquarters

PO Box 2, Springfield, Chelmsford, CM2 6DA

Internal extension 150044

External Dial 101 then ext.150044

Data Protection / FOI Team direct dial: 01245 452647

Fax: 01245 452256 Internal 150045

Email : [9][email address]

Personal email: [10][email address]

Website: [11]www.essex.police.uk

Office hours: Mon-Thur 8:00 - 16:00, Fri 8:00 - 15:30

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your FOI request, you have
the right to ask for an internal review.

Internal review requests should be submitted within 20 working days of the
date of receipt of the response to your original request and should be
addressed to the Senior Information Officer at the above address or by
email to: [12][email address]

They will conduct an internal review to investigate the handling of your
request and endeavour to reply within 20 working days. If your complaint
refers to a decision to apply an exemption it would assist the review if
you would outline the reasons why you feel the exemption does not apply.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information
Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF or via [13]https://ico.org.uk/

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