Statistics on suspects released under investigation

Response to this request is long overdue. By law, under all circumstances, Norfolk Constabulary should have responded by now (details). You can complain by requesting an internal review.

BBC Shared Data Unit

Dear Norfolk Constabulary,

We are requesting some information under the Freedom of Information Act. Please provide the following:

1.) How many people did your force release on pre-charge police bail between 3rd April 2016 and 2nd April 2017? Please breakdown the numbers for your force by the nature of the offences for which the individual was under investigation eg rape, burglary
2.) How many people did your force release on pre-charge police bail between 3rd April 2017 and 2nd April 2018? Please breakdown the numbers for your force by the nature of the offences for which the individual was under investigation eg rape, burglary
3. How many people did your force ‘release under investigation’ by the police between 3rd April 2017 and 2nd April 2018? Please breakdown the numbers for your force by the nature of the offences for which the individual was under investigation eg rape, burglary
4.) How many people did your force ‘release under investigation' by the police between 3rd April 2018 and 2nd April 2019? Please breakdown the numbers for your force by the nature of the offences for which the individual was under investigation eg rape, burglary
5.) Between April 3 2016 and April 2 2018, what was the average length of time someone spent on pre-charge police bail for your force in days?
6.) Between April 3 2017 and April 2 2019, what was the average length of time someone was ‘released under investigation’ for your force in days?
7.) Please state the longest period in days someone spent having been ‘released under investigation’ before being charged or being released with no further action being taken, between 3rd April 2017 and 2nd April 2019.
8.) How many people are currently ‘released under investigation’ by your force?
9.) Of the total number of people ‘released under investigation’ between 3rd April 2017 and 2nd April 2019, how many were released with no further action being taken and how many were charged? Please breakdown the numbers for your force by the nature of the offences for which the individual was charged or for which the individual was originally investigated, before being released with no further action being taken.
10.) Can you please provide all of these data in either an .xls/.xlsx/.csv file format?

If you cannot provide the full breakdown of information we have requested, please contact us to discuss what information you could supply at the earliest opportunity on 0121 567 6299.

If we are mistaken and the information requested is already in the public domain, please direct us to where we can find it.

If it is not, and you feel you cannot provide all of this information, please provide what information you can in the spirit of Section 16 of FoI, to ‘provide advice and assistance, so far as it would be reasonable to expect the authority to do so, to persons who propose to make, or have made requests for information’.

Please send us the information by email. Please provide us with a summary of the information we have requested.

We look forward to hearing from you promptly, and at any rate, within the statutory time limit of 20 working days from your receipt of this email.

Whilst writing, we take this opportunity to remind you of the Information Commissioner's public statements, in which he has stated that there is a "presumption of disclosure" under FoI.

Please note that if this request for FoI disclosure is refused, we reserve the right to take up the matter with the Information Commissioner and/or to pursue all legal avenues of appeal. We trust this will not be necessary.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Yours faithfully,

BBC Shared Data Unit

Freedom Of Information (Norfolk), Norfolk Constabulary

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