Reported Motorcycle and Scooter Thefts

The request was successful.

The Motorcycle Action Group

Dear Hertfordshire Constabulary,

Please can you provide the number of reported thefts of motorcycles and scooters in the police force area for the period 1st January – 31st December 2020.

Yours faithfully,

Julie Sperling
The Motorcycle Action Group

FOI Team,

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Dear Julie Sperling,

I am writing in response to your request for information, received 17th
March.

Yours sincerely,
Jo Atkins

The Motorcycle Action Group

Dear Jo Atkins,

Many thanks for your prompt response, we really appreciate this.

Yours faithfully,
Julie Sperling
The Motorcycle Action Group

The Motorcycle Action Group

Dear Hertfordshire Constabulary,

We recently wrote to David Lloyd PCC for Hertfordshire regarding our FOI request results as this was diverge from the national trend in an attempt to understand why. He responded stating that the figures didn't feel right and had them checked with you and they were found to be wrong . This was down to incorrectly downloaded data from your Athena system which now shows to be a 40% reduction. Can you please supply the corrected figures so that we can amend our master document before we circulate.

Many thanks in advance.

Yours faithfully,
Julie Sperling
The Motorcycle Action Group

R Freedom of Information Act team, Hertfordshire Constabulary

Good morning, can you please provide your FOI reference number so I can locate the case on our system.

Kind regards
Jo Atkins
Information Rights Office

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R Freedom of Information Act team, Hertfordshire Constabulary

Good morning Julie,
I have located the request but have no record of the below query coming into us regarding these stats being incorrect therefore you can request an Internal review which means this request will be looked at again and we will go back to the department that provided the data to ensure the data is correct.

Please let me know if you wish to request an internal review so I can get this logged for you.

Kind regards
Jo Atkins
Information Rights Office

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The Motorcycle Action Group

Dear Jo Atkins,

Thank you for your response please see the below response from Amie Birkhamshaw Director of Strategy for Herts PCC so unfortunately I will have to ask for an Internal Review that will add to your burden. We did ask for that actual figures and are still waiting.

Yours sincerely,
Julie Sperling
The Motorcycle Action Group

Thank you for your patience whilst I have sought further clarity on the matter.

The first complicating factor has been around the classification of ‘Motorcycle’. On the police systems this broad heading includes motorcycles and scooters (classified as road vehicles), but it also includes electric (non-road) mobility scooters, children scooters and push along variants. Unless the FOI pertains exactly which of these vehicles it is referring to specifically, it can mean that the person responding to the FOI interprets it slightly differently to another person and also between forces.

Secondly, where there are no specific fields for officers to complete the sub category on the Athena police system, it then requires the person completing the FOI to manually search words through free text boxes. As the nature of FOIs mean that the request has to be proportionate, abstracting non-road electric mobility scooters and children’s scooters etc from all the many records would have exceeded the time limit that could have been spent on the request. Often a description of the methodology used to complete FOIs is accompanied in the response, but as this isn’t a requirement it is not always provided.
Should it have been provided, I suspect it would have been clearer on how the figures were derived.

When analysing the data for motorcycles and scooters that are classified as road vehicles, associated offences fell in Hertfordshire by 40% in 2020.

I hope this helps provides the clarity needed?

FOI Team,

Our ref: IR2021/03161

Dear Julie Sperling,

Thank you for your request for information which was received on 18th May.
Your request is being considered under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000.

The Act requires that a response must be given promptly, and in any event
within 20 working days. We will therefore reply at the latest by 16th
June.

Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
communications.

Yours sincerely,
Jo Atkins

FOI Team,

1 Attachment

Dear Julie Sperling,

I am writing in response to your request for information, received 18th
May.

Yours sincerely,
James Cooper

The Motorcycle Action Group

Dear James Cooper,

Thank you for your prompt investigation, we really appreciate this and happy with your findings.

Yours sincerely,

Julie Sperling
The Motorcycle Action Group