Reports of Residential Noise Disturbances and Complaints in Kent

Maria Ayala made this Freedom of Information request to Kent Police Automatic anti-spam measures are in place for this older request. Please let us know if a further response is expected or if you are having trouble responding.

Kent Police did not have the information requested.

Dear Kent Police,

I am writing to request information regarding the number of residential noise disturbances and residential noise complaints reported in the Kent district between January 1st 2018 and April 18th 2023.

Yours faithfully,

Maria Ayala

Freedom of Information Kent, Kent Police

2 Attachments

Dear Ms Ayala,

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST FOI/00622/23/AS

 

Thank you for your request received by Kent Police on 18^th April 2023, I
note you seek access, in summary, to information relating to:

 

Residential noise disturbances and residential noise complaints

 

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) provides that a public
authority respond to an FOI request within 20 working days. Although every
effort will be made to ensure a response is provided within statutory
deadlines, some delays may be unavoidable. We apologise for any
inconvenience and will endeavour to process your request as quickly as is
practicable.

 

Your interest in Kent Police is appreciated and pending a specific
response to your request, I enclose a sheet, which summarises your rights.
Should you have any further inquiries concerning this matter, please write
or contact us via the following telephone number 01622 652610 quoting the
reference number above.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Mark Crittenden

Senior Public Disclosure Officer

Freedom of Information

[1][Kent Police request email]

Kent Police Public Disclosure Team

Information Management

Coldharbour, London Road,

Aylesford, Kent, ME20 7SL

 

 

This email and any other accompanying document(s) contain information from
Kent Police and/or Essex Police, which is confidential or privileged. The
information is intended to be for the exclusive use of the individual(s)
or bodies to whom it is addressed. The content, including any subsequent
replies, could be disclosable if relating to a criminal investigation or
civil proceedings. If you are not the intended recipient, be aware that
any disclosure, copying, distribution or other use of the contents of this
information is prohibited. If you have received this email in error,
please notify us immediately by contacting the sender or telephoning Kent
Police on 01622 690690 or Essex Police on 01245 491491, as appropriate.
For further information regarding Kent Police’s or Essex Police’s use of
personal data please go to https://www.kent.police.uk/hyg/privacy/ or
https://www.essex.police.uk/hyg/privacy/. Additionally for our Terms and
Conditions please go to https://www.kent.police.uk/hyg/terms-con...
or https://www.essex.police.uk/hyg/terms-co...

References

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1. mailto:[Kent Police request email]

Freedom of Information Kent, Kent Police

1 Attachment

Dear Ms Ayala,         

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REF 00622/23

Thank you for your request received by Kent Police on 18^th April 2023.

I am writing to request information regarding the number of residential
noise disturbances and residential noise complaints reported in the Kent
district between January 1st 2018 and April 18th 2023.

Unfortunately your request engages the cost exemption at Section 12(2)
FOIA. Section 12 provides an exemption from a public authority’s
obligation to comply with a request for information where the cost of
compliance is estimated to exceed the appropriate limit. The Freedom of
Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations
2004 state that the appropriate cost limit is 18 hours in the case of the
Police Service.

The reason for engaging this exemption is that the information subject to
the request is not retrievable via automated means.

There is no specific closing code relating to residential noise
disturbances. Complaints of noise are recorded using the Kent Police
incident reporting system and may be recorded under a number of closing
codes depending on the situation. A location is entered onto the record as
to the perceived location or ‘source’ of the noise. However if the caller
is unsure the location may simply be recorded as the callers home address
or nearest relevant location.

Therefore it would not be possible to determine whether the location was
‘residential’ or not without manually reviewing each incident record. On
the basis that this would involve manually reviewing hundreds of reports
over the requested period, the request is expected to exceed the 18
working hour limit.

Please note that complaints relating to noisy neighbours/amplified music
are usually dealt with by the Local Authority and not the Police.
Therefore your request may be better placed with them.

[1]https://www.kent.gov.uk/about-the-counci...

When Section 12 is engaged, our duty under Section 16 requires that we
assist you in refining your request so as to bring it within the cost
limit. In this instance we can identify the number of reports received,
which are recorded under a specific closing code which may be able to
assist. These results are reliant on what is entered by the inputting
officer.

Please advise which of the following closing codes relating to noise would
be of interest to you –   

The number of incident reports between 1^st January 2018 to 18^th April
2023 recorded under the following closing codes -

Fireworks - Noise / Inappropriate use / offences

Noisy party / organised event / rave

Motor vehicle nuisance on road inc noise

Rowdy or nuisance gathering in public / impeding public access

Neighbour - Disputes / Nuisance (exc 347) inc noise NOT noisy party

Drunken or rowdy behaviour (exc 735)

If you would like to proceed with the refined request please advise us and
we will log and process the new request as soon as possible. You will be
contacted with a new reference number if this is the case.

Should you have any further inquiries concerning this matter, please do
not hesitate to contact us. If you are dissatisfied with the way your
request has been handled please refer to the ‘your rights summary’
attached for details of the next step you are able to take.

Yours sincerely,

Adam Staden

Public Disclosure Officer

Information Security and Governance

Kent Police

 

This email and any other accompanying document(s) contain information from
Kent Police and/or Essex Police, which is confidential or privileged. The
information is intended to be for the exclusive use of the individual(s)
or bodies to whom it is addressed. The content, including any subsequent
replies, could be disclosable if relating to a criminal investigation or
civil proceedings. If you are not the intended recipient, be aware that
any disclosure, copying, distribution or other use of the contents of this
information is prohibited. If you have received this email in error,
please notify us immediately by contacting the sender or telephoning Kent
Police on 01622 690690 or Essex Police on 01245 491491, as appropriate.
For further information regarding Kent Police’s or Essex Police’s use of
personal data please go to https://www.kent.police.uk/hyg/privacy/ or
https://www.essex.police.uk/hyg/privacy/. Additionally for our Terms and
Conditions please go to https://www.kent.police.uk/hyg/terms-con...
or https://www.essex.police.uk/hyg/terms-co...

References

Visible links
1. https://www.kent.gov.uk/about-the-counci...