Online hate crime reported

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Victòria Oliveres

Dear Avon and Somerset Constabulary,

This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act.

I would like you to provide me with the following information:

- Hate crimes and incidents recorded. For each, the total number and the breakdown by monitored strand (race, religion, sexual orientation, disability and transgender, or other classification available) and by offence type (violence against the person, public order offences, criminal damage and arson…, or other classification available), for each month of the calendar years 2015, 2016 and 2017.

- Hate crimes and incidents flagged as online crime recorded. For each, the total number and the breakdown by monitored strand (race, religion, sexual orientation, disability and transgender, or other classification available) and by offence type (violence against the person, public order offences, criminal damage and arson…, or other classification available), for each month of the calendar years 2015, 2016 and 2017.

- In the cases classified as religious hate crime, the breakdown by the perceived (by the offender) religion (or belief or faith) of the victim.

- The date since when the online crime flag is being used by this police force.

I would like to receive that information in an electronic format, preferably in .xlsx or .csv.

If the information requested is not clear enough or if the cost of compliance exceeds the appropriate limit, I would appreciate your assistance in rewriting or narrowing down my search terms.

Yours faithfully,

Victòria Oliveres

#Freedom of Information Requests, Avon and Somerset Constabulary

Thank you for your request for information. 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. In some circumstances Avon and Somerset Constabulary may be unable to achieve this deadline if consideration needs to be given to the public interest test. If this is likely you will be informed and given a revised time-scale at the earliest opportunity.

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Victòria Oliveres

Dear Avon and Somerset Constabulary,

I would like to clarify that by "Hate crimes and incidents flagged as online crime recorded" I mean crimes which have occurred online (cyber crime), no matter if they have later been reported online or in other ways.

Yours sincerely,

Victòria Oliveres

#Freedom of Information Requests, Avon and Somerset Constabulary

1 Attachment

Corporate Information Management Department

Force Headquarters, PO Box 37, Valley Road,

Portishead, Bristol, BS20 8QJ

Email [email address]    

 

 

 

 

Ms Victoria Olivers Our Reference 398/18

[FOI #472051 email] Date 18 April 2018

 

 

Dear Ms Olivers

 

I write in connection with your request for information dated 19^th March
2018 under the Freedom of Information Act.

 

Specifically you asked for:

 

1.    Hate crimes and incidents recorded. For each, the total number and
the breakdown by monitored strand (race, religion, sexual orientation,
disability and transgender, or other classification available) and by
offence type (violence against the person, public order offences, criminal
damage and arson…, or other classification available), for each month of
the calendar years 2015, 2016 and 2017.

 

2.    Hate crimes and incidents flagged as online crime recorded. For
each, the total number and the breakdown by monitored strand (race,
religion, sexual orientation, disability and transgender, or other
classification available) and by offence type (violence against the
person, public order offences, criminal damage and arson…, or other
classification available), for each month of the calendar years 2015, 2016
and 2017.

 

3.    In the cases classified as religious hate crime, the breakdown by
the perceived (by the offender) religion (or belief or faith) of the
victim.

 

4.    The date since when the online crime flag is being used by this
police force.

 

Clarification received 28^th March 2018:

 

I would like to clarify that by "Hate crimes and incidents flagged as
online crime recorded" I mean crimes which have occurred online (cyber
crime), no matter if they have later been reported online or in other
ways.

 

 

Our response:

 

Your request has been considered and I regret to advise you that your
request is refused because we estimate that the cost of retrieving the
requested information would exceed the cost limits under the Act which is
currently set at £450 or 18 staff hours work.  This letter represents a
Refusal Notice under the Act.

 

This is because the information requested in question 3 is not centrally
recorded for the entire time period requested. The category to record
religious hate crimes by religion or faith was introduced in 2017. For the
2015 and 2016 calendar years, every religious hate crime would need to be
manually reviewed in order to ascertain whether the specific religion
targeted was recorded. With over 350 records to review at a conservative
rate of six minutes per record, it is estimated that would take over 35
hours to comply.

 

If you were to limit question 3 to request the breakdown of religion or
faith for 2017 only we may be able to provide you with some of the
information you require.

 

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

Rebecca Pritchard

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
attached).

 

 

 

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Victòria Oliveres

Dear Rebecca Pritchard,

I would like to limit question 3 to request the breakdown of religion or faith for 2017.

Yours sincerely,

Victòria Oliveres

#Freedom of Information Requests, Avon and Somerset Constabulary

Thank you for your refined request for information. 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. In some circumstances Avon and Somerset Constabulary may be unable to achieve this deadline if consideration needs to be given to the public interest test. If this is likely you will be informed and given a revised time-scale at the earliest opportunity.

show quoted sections

#Freedom of Information Requests,

2 Attachments

Corporate Information Management Department

Force Headquarters, PO Box 37, Valley Road,

Portishead, Bristol, BS20 8QJ

Email [email address]    

 

 

 

 

Ms Victoria Oliveres Our Reference 550/18

[FOI #472051 email] Date 18 May 2018

 

 

Dear Ms Oiveres

 

I write in connection with your request for information dated 19^th April
2018 under the Freedom of Information Act. This request follows FOI 398/18
which was refused as to retrieve the requested information  would exceed
the cost limits set by the Act.

 

Specifically you asked:

1.    Hate crimes and incidents recorded. For each, the total number and 
the breakdown by monitored strand (race, religion, sexual orientation, 
disability and transgender, or other classification available) and by 
offence type (violence against the person, public order offences,
criminal  damage and arson…, or other classification available), for each
month of  the calendar years 2015, 2016 and 2017.

 

2.    Hate crimes and incidents flagged as online crime recorded. For 
each, the total number and the breakdown by monitored strand (race, 
religion, sexual orientation, disability and transgender, or other 
classification available) and by offence type (violence against the 
person, public order offences, criminal damage and arson…, or other 
classification available), for each month of the calendar years 2015,
2016  and 2017.

 

3.    In the cases classified as religious hate crime, the breakdown by 
the perceived (by the offender) religion (or belief or faith) of the 
victim.

 

4.    The date since when the online crime flag is being used by this 
police force.

 

Clarification received 28th March 2018:

 

I would like to clarify that by "Hate crimes and incidents flagged as 
online crime recorded" I mean crimes which have occurred online (cyber 
crime), no matter if they have later been reported online or in other 
ways.

 

You have refined Q3:

 

I would like to limit question 3 to request the breakdown of religion or
faith for 2017.

 

 

Our response:

Please see the requested information attached. The flag for identifying
cyber crimes was introduced in 2012. Religious hate crimes are recorded by
hate type.

 

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

Rebecca Pritchard

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
attached).

 

 

 

show quoted sections

Victòria Oliveres

Dear Rebecca Pritchard,

For questions 1 and 2 I only received the information yearly, while I asked for each month of the calendar years 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Can this breakdown be provided?

Yours sincerely,

Victòria Oliveres