Dear Sir/Madam (Spiffy) ,

Reference No: SBLK-7NCCFQ

Thank you for your application for information concerning the staffing of 999 control rooms. This will be dealt
with under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

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, subject to the information not being exempt nor containing a reference to a third party.
In the event that we are not able to achieve this deadline you will be informed at the earliest opportunity and
given a revised time-scale.

There may be a fee payable for the retrieval, collation and provision of the information you have requested. If this
is the case you will be informed and the 20 working day timescale will be suspended until we receive payment from
you.

Some requests may also require either full or partial transfer to another public authority in order to answer your
query in the fullest possible way. Again, you will be informed if this is the case.

Yours sincerely,

S Blank
Disclosure Analyst

Information Bureau
Merseyside Police
PO Box 59, Liverpool. L69 1JD
Fax: 0151 777 7099
Email : [Merseyside Police request email]

============================================================
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.

If you have received this email in error please notify the sender as soon
as possible.

This footnote confirms that all reasonable steps have been taken to
ensure that this email message has been swept for the presence of
computer viruses.

The views expressed in this communication may not necessarily be the
views of Merseyside Police.

All communications, including telephone calls and electronic messages to
and from Merseyside Police may be subject to monitoring and recording.
============================================================

Reference: SBLK-7NCCFQ

Dear Sir/Madam

I write to request some clarification from yourself in relation to your
Freedom of Information request submitted to Merseyside Police below:

1) Can you confirm or deny that the 999 control room acts merely as a
customer service call centre and is manned by civilians or CSO's and not
actual police officers. If it is manned by a combination of civilians,
CSO's and actual police officers please provide the total number of staff
and ratio of civilians and CSO's to actual police officers.

2) Can you also provide figures for the number of crimes in total that are
actually referred on to a police station for actual police officer
attention and exclusive of CSO attention. If the cost is not prohibitive
can you further break down that figure into a fully comprehensive list of
definitive crimes and the times applicable to attending the complaints
address in order of deemed priority.

Regarding question 2 above, please could you advise me of the time period
that this question is relating to.

Your application has currently been suspended pending clarification from
yourself, if the requested clarification has not been received from
yourself by one month after the above date, I will consider that you no
longer wish to proceed with this request and it will be treated as
withdrawn.

Yours faithfully,

S Blank
Disclosure Analyst

Merseyside Police
Information Bureau
PO BOX 59
LIVERPOOL
L69 1JD
Fax: 0151 777 7099
E-mail: [Merseyside Police request email]

============================================================
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.

If you have received this email in error please notify the sender as soon
as possible.

This footnote confirms that all reasonable steps have been taken to
ensure that this email message has been swept for the presence of
computer viruses.

The views expressed in this communication may not necessarily be the
views of Merseyside Police.

All communications, including telephone calls and electronic messages to
and from Merseyside Police may be subject to monitoring and recording.
============================================================

Reference: SBLK-7NCCFQ

Dear Sir/Madam

Thank you for your clarification. Your request will now be considered under
the terms of the Freedom of Information Act (2000) and you will receive the
information requested within the statutory time scale of 20 working days as
defined by the Act, subject to the information not being exempt or
containing reference to a third party.

There may be a fee payable for the retrieval, collection and provision of
the information you request. If this is the case you will be informed.

Yours faithfully,

S Blank
Disclosure Analyst

Merseyside Police
Information Bureau
PO Box 59
Liverpool
L69 1JD
Fax: 0151 777 7099
E-mail: [Merseyside Police request email]

============================================================
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.

If you have received this email in error please notify the sender as soon
as possible.

This footnote confirms that all reasonable steps have been taken to
ensure that this email message has been swept for the presence of
computer viruses.

The views expressed in this communication may not necessarily be the
views of Merseyside Police.

All communications, including telephone calls and electronic messages to
and from Merseyside Police may be subject to monitoring and recording.
============================================================

Reference: SBLK-7NCCFQ

Dear Sir/Madam

Regarding your recent Freedom of Information request submitted to
Merseyside Police (below):

1) Can you confirm or deny that the 999 control room acts merely as a
customer service call centre and is manned by civilians or CSO's and not
actual police officers. If it is manned by a combination of civilians,
CSO's and actual police officers please provide the total number of staff
and ratio of civilians and CSO's to actual police officers.

2) Can you also provide figures for the number of crimes in total that are
actually referred on to a police station for actual police officer
attention and exclusive of CSO attention. (Later clarified by the applicant
to refer to the calendar year 2008)

If the cost is not prohibitive can you further break down that figure into
a fully comprehensive list of definitive crimes and the times applicable to
attending the complaints address in order of deemed priority.

Recently, the Information Commissioner has provided further guidance in
respect of section 8 of the Act, setting out the requirements for a valid
request below:

A public authority is entitled to treat as invalid a request where the
real name of the applicant (whether an individual or a corporate body)
has not been used.
Requests involving known pseudonyms cannot be the subject of a valid
complaint to the Information Commissioner under section 50 of the FOI
Act.
Where a public authority knows that a pseudonym has been used, as a
matter of good practice it should still consider the request, for
example where identity is not relevant and it is content to disclose the
information requested, even though technically the request is invalid.
Either an e-maul or postal address is acceptable as an address for
correspondence.

In light of the above, may I respectfully request your full name, please
note that if you do not wish to do so then as per the second point above,
if you are unhappy with the response you receive from Merseyside Police,
you will not be able to submit a complaint to the Information Commissioner
under section 50 of the Act.

Yours faithfully

S Blank
Disclosure Analyst
Merseyside Police

Information Bureau
PO Box 59
Liverpool
L59 1JD
Fax: 0151 777 7099
E-mail: [Merseyside Police request email]

============================================================
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.

If you have received this email in error please notify the sender as soon
as possible.

This footnote confirms that all reasonable steps have been taken to
ensure that this email message has been swept for the presence of
computer viruses.

The views expressed in this communication may not necessarily be the
views of Merseyside Police.

All communications, including telephone calls and electronic messages to
and from Merseyside Police may be subject to monitoring and recording.
============================================================

Dear Sir/Madam

Thankyou for your e-mail (below), I can confirm we will be responding to
your request. The purpose of the e-mail was merely to explain that if a
request is submitted without a name, if you were unhappy with the response
from Merseyside Police, any complaint submitted to the Information
Commissioner under Section 50 of the Act would be invalid.

Yours faithfully

S Blank
Disclosure Analyst
Merseyside Police

Information Bureau
PO Box 59
Liverpool
L59 1JD
Fax: 0151 777 7099
E-mail: [Merseyside Police request email]

Spiffy of Wirral <[FOI #6169 email]> on 21/01/2009
22:35:33

To: [email address]
cc:

Subject: Re: Freedom of Information request - Control Room Referrals To
Actual Police Stations

Dear Mr/Mrs Blank

Thank you for your response and your comments are noted. In the
interests of my personal safety, confidentiality and privacy, given
that your responses to me are displayed on a public website, my
identity will not be revealed unless exceptional circumstances
demand it. I do not anticipate that such will ever arise.

Please clarify whether you intend to proceed with my request and if
it is to be rejected on what grounds. I believe that my identity is
not relevant to this request. Should the use of a pseudonym be
given as basis for rejection I will require a full explanation as
to the relevance of my full name in direct relation to the
information I have requested.

Yours sincerely,

Spiffy of Wirral

show quoted sections

Reference No: SBLK-7NCCFQ

Dear Sir/Madam

I write in connection with your request for information which was received
by Merseyside Police on 16/01/09. I note that you seek access to the
following information:

The staffing of 999 control rooms.

I regret to inform you that we have not been able to complete our response
to your request within the statutory time limit.

We calculate that a response will be ready by 27/02/09. I can assure you
that every effort will be made to respond within this new timescale.

I apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Yours faithfully

S Blank
Disclosure Analyst
Merseyside Police

Information Bureau
Information Access Unit
PO BOX 59
LIVERPOOL L69 1JD
Fax: 0151 777 7099
E-mail: [Merseyside Police request email]

============================================================
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.

If you have received this email in error please notify the sender as soon
as possible.

This footnote confirms that all reasonable steps have been taken to
ensure that this email message has been swept for the presence of
computer viruses.

The views expressed in this communication may not necessarily be the
views of Merseyside Police.

All communications, including telephone calls and electronic messages to
and from Merseyside Police may be subject to monitoring and recording.
============================================================

Dear Sir/Madam

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: SBLK-7NCCFQ

I write in connection with your request for information dated 16/01/09
which was received by Merseyside Police on 16/01/09. I note you seek access
to the following information:

Staffing and handling of 999 emergency calls and control rooms.

Following receipt of your request searches were conducted within Merseyside
Police to locate information relevant to your request. I can confirm that
the information you have requested is held by Merseyside Police.

Extent of searches to locate information
To locate the information relevant to your request searches were conducted
at the Calls & Crime Recording Bureau, Information Bureau & Area Control
Rooms.

Result of searches
The searches located information relevant to your request.

Decision
Disclose information regarding questions 1, 2 & 3.
Exempt information regarding questions 4 & 5, pursuant to the provisions of
section 12 of the Freedom of Information 2000 (the Act) - Cost and Time
exemption (see decision below for further details).
Please see the response table below:
(See attached file: SBLK-7NCCFQ response table V2.doc)

Reasons For Decision
The cost of providing you with the information is above the amount to which
we are legally required to respond i.e. the cost of locating and retrieving
the information exceeds the ‘appropriate level’ as stated in the Freedom of
Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004, which equates to
18 hours. It is estimated it would cost in excess of £450 to comply with
your request, this letter acts as a Refusal Notice.

Complaint Rights
Your attention is drawn to the attachment which details your right of
complaint.
(See attached file: Complaints info.doc)

Should you have any further inquiries concerning this matter, please write
to or contact me at the e-mail or postal address below, quoting the
reference number above.

Yours sincerely

S Blank
Disclosure Analyst
Merseyside Police

Information Bureau
PO Box 59
Liverpool
L69 1JD
Fax: 0151 777 7099
E-mail: [Merseyside Police request email]

============================================================
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.

If you have received this email in error please notify the sender as soon
as possible.

This footnote confirms that all reasonable steps have been taken to
ensure that this email message has been swept for the presence of
computer viruses.

The views expressed in this communication may not necessarily be the
views of Merseyside Police.

All communications, including telephone calls and electronic messages to
and from Merseyside Police may be subject to monitoring and recording.
============================================================