Aggregate data on criminal activity, squatting, and / or damage in business properties

The request was partially successful.

Dear North Yorkshire Police,

In terms of the Freedom of Information Act of 2000, could you please provide me with the following information for each of the last five years (i.e. 2011 to 2015), and tallied by borough council in which the incidents occurred:

1. Total number of empty business premises (including retail, office and industrial) affected by each of (as a direct consequence of their being empty):
a. Criminal activity
b. Squatting
c. Damage
2. Total number of occupied business premises (including retail, office and industrial) affected by each of:
a. Criminal activity
b. Squatting
c. Damage
3. Where possible, total value in GBP of the theft or damage to empty business premises (including retail, office and industrial) by each of (as a direct consequence of their being empty):
a. Criminal activity
b. Squatting
c. Damage
4. Where possible, total value in GBP of the theft or damage to occupied business premises (including retail, office and industrial) by each of:
a. Criminal activity
b. Squatting
c. Damage

If the value in GBP is not known, then please provide the balance of data requested.

Please provide this as machine-readable as either a CSV or Microsoft Excel file, capable of re-use, and under terms of the Open Government Licence.

Yours faithfully,

Gavin Chait

Civil Disclosure, North Yorkshire Police

Classification: PROTECT

Good afternoon,

I write in connection with your request for information which was received by North Yorkshire Police on 30 March 2016, as detailed below.

Your request will now be considered in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act).

Should you have any queries concerning this matter, please write quoting the above reference number.

Kind Regards

Liz Fryar
Collar Number 4437
Legal Officer – Civil Disclosure
Joint Corporate Legal Services
North Yorkshire Police

Please note my normal working days are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Dial 101, press option 2 and ask for me by my full name or collar number. If using my collar number please state each number individually.

www.northyorkshire.police.uk

Committed to the Code of Ethics

THIS EMAIL AND ANY ATTACHMENT(S) MAY BE SUBJECT TO LEGAL PROFESSIONAL PRIVILEGE - PLEASE DO NOT DISCLOSE THE CONTENT TO ANYONE ELSE WITHOUT ASKING JOINT CORPORATE LEGAL SERVICES

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Fryar, Liz, North Yorkshire Police

Classification: PROTECT

Good morning,

I have looked at your request for information, and unfortunately must advise that we cannot answer it in full due to questions 3 and 4. In order to ascertain the total value incurred to business premises due to theft or damage in the last 5 years, it would be necessary to manually read through all relevant records within this time, firstly see if the cost has been recorded, and secondly, if recorded, to extract this data. Any data provided would therefore not be accurate. This would far exceed the cost threshold.

We may be able to provide information relating to squatting offences within North Yorkshire within the last 5 years, please let me know if you would like to pursue this option.

Kind Regards

Liz

Liz Fryar
Collar Number 4437
Legal Officer – Civil Disclosure
Joint Corporate Legal Services
North Yorkshire Police

Please note my normal working days are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Dial 101, press option 2 and ask for me by my full name or collar number. If using my collar number please state each number individually.

www.northyorkshire.police.uk

Committed to the Code of Ethics

THIS EMAIL AND ANY ATTACHMENT(S) MAY BE SUBJECT TO LEGAL PROFESSIONAL PRIVILEGE - PLEASE DO NOT DISCLOSE THE CONTENT TO ANYONE ELSE WITHOUT ASKING JOINT CORPORATE LEGAL SERVICES

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Dear Liz Fryar,

Thank you for your clarification. My understanding regarding squatting is that this is not a crime in commercial property (although the means with which access is gained, or subsequent damage, may result in a crime report).

Would you only have data on residential squatting, or would you be able to list squatting in commercial properties?

Yours sincerely,

Gavin Chait

Fryar, Liz, North Yorkshire Police

Classification: PROTECT

Dear Mr Chait,

We may be able to list squatting in commercial properties if it is information that we hold - ie if a report has been made to North Yorkshire Police. We most probably would have to manually read through the records to extract the information, as the property may not always be categorised as 'residential' or 'commercial', however this should be manageable within the allowances under the Act (dependant on the timeframe requested).

I hope this helps, please let me know if you would like to submit a new request,

Kind Regards

Liz

Liz Fryar
Collar Number 4437
Legal Officer – Civil Disclosure
Joint Corporate Legal Services
North Yorkshire Police

Please note my normal working days are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Dial 101, press option 2 and ask for me by my full name or collar number. If using my collar number please state each number individually.

www.northyorkshire.police.uk

Committed to the Code of Ethics

THIS EMAIL AND ANY ATTACHMENT(S) MAY BE SUBJECT TO LEGAL PROFESSIONAL PRIVILEGE - PLEASE DO NOT DISCLOSE THE CONTENT TO ANYONE ELSE WITHOUT ASKING JOINT CORPORATE LEGAL SERVICES

show quoted sections

Dear Liz Fryar,

Thank you, yes, I would appreciate it if you could put that request through for me.

Yours sincerely,

Gavin Chait

Fryar, Liz, North Yorkshire Police

Classification: PROTECT

Dear Mr Chait,

I have logged your new request received today as follows:

Between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2015:

Total number of reports of business premises affected by squatting (including retail, office and industrial), with a breakdown of whether they were empty or occupied at the time.

It will now be considered in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act).

Should you have any queries concerning this matter, please write quoting the above reference number.

Kind Regards

Liz

Liz Fryar
Collar Number 4437
Legal Officer – Civil Disclosure
Joint Corporate Legal Services
North Yorkshire Police

Please note my normal working days are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Dial 101, press option 2 and ask for me by my full name or collar number. If using my collar number please state each number individually.

www.northyorkshire.police.uk

Committed to the Code of Ethics

THIS EMAIL AND ANY ATTACHMENT(S) MAY BE SUBJECT TO LEGAL PROFESSIONAL PRIVILEGE - PLEASE DO NOT DISCLOSE THE CONTENT TO ANYONE ELSE WITHOUT ASKING JOINT CORPORATE LEGAL SERVICES

show quoted sections

Fryar, Liz, North Yorkshire Police

Classification: PROTECT

Dear Mr Chait,

I have been researching your request, and must inform you that unfortunately we can only carry out searches on the MO location if there is a crime - squatting is an offence, meaning that someone could be arrested without a recordable crime.

Bearing that in mind, and to enable me to answer your request as successfully as possible, please could you therefore let me know what type of locations you wish me to use in my further searches regarding 'business premises, including retail, office and industrial' from the list below:

LOCATION
Commercial
Dwelling
Education
Financial
Hospitality
Leisure
Medical
Public Building
Public/Open place
Shop
Travel

Furthermore, we can carry out searches on 'occupancy' of the above premises, however please note that the results may relate to premises that have been unoccupied on a long term basis only.

If you could confirm which locations you wish me to search on, that would be appreciated.

Once I have received clarification I will be able to continue with your request. If I do not hear from you within 20 working days of the date of this email I will assume that you no longer require the information and withdraw your request.

Kind Regards

Liz

Liz Fryar
Collar Number 4437
Legal Officer – Civil Disclosure
Joint Corporate Legal Services
North Yorkshire Police

Please note my normal working days are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Dial 101, press option 2 and ask for me by my full name or collar number. If using my collar number please state each number individually.

www.northyorkshire.police.uk

Committed to the Code of Ethics

THIS EMAIL AND ANY ATTACHMENT(S) MAY BE SUBJECT TO LEGAL PROFESSIONAL PRIVILEGE - PLEASE DO NOT DISCLOSE THE CONTENT TO ANYONE ELSE WITHOUT ASKING JOINT CORPORATE LEGAL SERVICES

show quoted sections

Dear Liz Fryar,

Thank you for your request for clarity. I can limit the search terms to the following:

Commercial
Financial
Hospitality
Medical
Shop

For these terms, I'm not too sure how to interpret them. If they are for places where business occurs (e.g. small hotels, B&Bs, or entertainment centres) then please include them. Otherwise, not.

Travel
Leisure

I'm interested in the variation between "occupied" and "unoccopied" no matter the time-frame of lack of occupation, but it would help to know how long "long-term" means?

Thanks, and let me know if this answers your queries?

Yours sincerely,

Gavin Chait

Fryar, Liz, North Yorkshire Police

1 Attachment

Classification: PROTECT

Good afternoon,

 

Please see attached response to your request for information (87.2016-17),

 

Kind Regards

 

Liz

 

Liz Fryar

Collar Number 4437

Legal Officer – Civil Disclosure

Joint Corporate Legal Services

North Yorkshire Police

 

Please note my normal working days are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and
Friday.

 

Dial 101, press option 2 and ask for me by my full name or collar number.
If using my collar number please state each number individually.

 

[1]www.northyorkshire.police.uk

 

 

Committed to the Code of Ethics

 

THIS EMAIL AND ANY ATTACHMENT(S) MAY BE SUBJECT TO LEGAL PROFESSIONAL
PRIVILEGE - PLEASE DO NOT DISCLOSE THE CONTENT TO ANYONE ELSE WITHOUT
ASKING JOINT CORPORATE LEGAL SERVICES

 

87.2016-17 response.pdf
PROTECT

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References

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1. http://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/