Dog related harassment incidents / controlling dangerous dogs

[Name Removed] made this Freedom of Information request to National Police Chiefs' Council This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.

National Police Chiefs' Council did not have the information requested.

Dear National Police Chiefs' Council,

I note that the NPCC gave evidence to Parliament House of Commons,Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on ‘Controlling dangerous dogs’, in September 2018.

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm...

Logically the evidence of the NPCC will be based -in part - on any dog related harassment incident statistics provided by UK police forces, to inform the committee of the correct statistical situation.

One gathered statistical example might show: Whether the problem has been getting worse over the last few years, which would seem to be indicated by the evidence to the committee.

NPCC - Evidence provided to the committee by Deputy Chief Constable Gareth Pritchard, Lead for Dangerous Dogs, National Police Chiefs Council; Inspector Patrick O’Hara, Dog Training School and Status Dog Unit, Metropolitan Police Service; and Mark Berry, Chairman, National Companion Animal Forums.

Could I please read the dog related harassment incident statistics that the NPCC has on record, as they logically must be in ready form - for evidential reasons, towards giving evidence to this Parliamentary committee.

Nb. The term ‘harassment’ is used in colloquial form, as an ordinary member of the public would use it, not specifically in police jargon.
==

The conclusion of the committee was :

23. To ensure the public receives the best possible protection, the Government should commission an independent review of the effectiveness of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and wider dog control legislation. This review should begin no later than January 2019. We expect this review to take account of the concerns and recommendations raised throughout this Report.

- Has the NPCC been involved in this independent review and gathered any evidential statistics from police forces in the meantime?

If the NPCC has, or is, gathering statistics, could you please provide the format (or questionnaire) of the questions to police forces, within the past three years.

Please state whether all UK police forces were or are are involved, or list the distributed sample.

Yours faithfully,

[Name Removed]

National Police Chiefs' Council

Good morning

In order for me to acknowledge and process your Freedom of Information request, I would be grateful if you could provide your full name.

Legislation Section 8:

(1) in this Act any reference to a 'request for information' is a reference to such a request which-
(a) is in writing
(b) states the name of the applicant and an address for correspondence, and
(c) describes the information requested.

On receipt of your full name, I will acknowledge by return.

With kindest regards.

Sherry

Sherry Traquair
NPCC Freedom of Information Officer & Decision Maker
National Police FOI & DP Central Referral Unit (NPFDU)

National Police Chiefs’ Council
T | 02380 478922
M | 077 685 53447
E | [NPCC request email]
W | www.npcc.police.uk

NB: Non-work day – Friday

http://www.npcc.police.uk/NationalPolici...

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Dear National Police Chiefs' Council,

It’s not needed. Wdtk is a verified address used for FOIA requests,

If in doubt, please refer to Information Commissioner’s Office.

Or, for quickness to comply with the 20 day time constraint, read through wdtk to see how all other organisations are complying.

Yours faithfully,

[Name Removed]

National Police Chiefs' Council

Date Received: 02/04/2019

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NUMBER: 078/19

The following request for information under the Freedom of Information Act was received by NPCC on the date listed above.

Applicant Question:

1. Could I please read the dog related harassment incident statistics that the NPCC has on record, as they logically must be in ready form - for evidential reasons, towards giving evidence to this Parliamentary committee.

2. Has the NPCC been involved in this independent review and gathered any evidential statistics from police forces in the meantime?

3. If the NPCC has, or is, gathering statistics, could you please provide the format (or questionnaire) of the questions to police forces, within the past three years.

4. Please state whether all UK police forces were or are involved, or list the distributed sample.

NPCC Acknowledgement:

Your request will be considered in accordance with the legislation and you will receive a response within the statutory timescale of 20 working days, subject to the provisions of the Act. In the unlikely event that NPCC is unable to meet the 20 working day deadline, you will be informed as soon as possible and given a revised time-scale for response.

If your request requires full or partial transference to another public authority, you will be informed. Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please write or contact Sherry Traquair on telephone number 02380 478922 quoting the reference number above.

Yours sincerely

Sherry Traquair
NPCC Freedom of Information Officer & Decision Maker
National Police FOI & DP Central Referral Unit (NPFDU)

National Police Chiefs’ Council
T | 02380 478922
M | 077 685 53447
E | [NPCC request email]
W | www.npcc.police.uk

NB: Non-work day – Friday

http://www.npcc.police.uk/NationalPolici...

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Dear National Police Chiefs' Council,

Thank you,

Yours faithfully,

[Name Removed]

National Police Chiefs' Council

3 Attachments

Good afternoon

 

Please find attached NPCC response to your Freedom of Information request.

 

With kind regards.

 

Sherry

 

Sherry Traquair

NPCC Freedom of Information Officer & Decision Maker

National Police FOI & DP Central Referral Unit (NPFDU)

 

National Police Chiefs’ Council

T   | 02380 478922

M | 077 685 53447

E   | [1][NPCC request email]

W | [2]www.npcc.police.uk

 

NB: Non-work day – Friday

 

[3]http://www.npcc.police.uk/NationalPolici...

 

[4]NPFDPU logo    [5]NPCC-blue-RGB

 

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References

Visible links
1. mailto:[NPCC request email]
2. http://www.npcc.police.uk/
3. http://www.npcc.police.uk/NationalPolici...

Dear National Police Chiefs' Council,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of National Police Chiefs' Council's handling of my FOI request 'Dog related harassment incidents / controlling dangerous dogs'.

Your reference::

NPCC Response: 
 
The NPCC does not hold information captured by your request. 

Reference to the request:

*NPCC - Evidence provided to the committee by Deputy Chief Constable Gareth Pritchard, Lead for Dangerous Dogs, National Police Chiefs Council; Inspector Patrick O’Hara, Dog Training School and Status Dog Unit, Metropolitan Police Service; and Mark Berry, Chairman, National Companion Animal Forums.
Could I please read the dog related harassment incident statistics that the NPCC has on record, as they logically must be in ready form - for evidential reasons, towards giving evidence to this Parliamentary committee.
 
The former national policing lead for dangerous dogs, DCC Pritchard represented the NPCC and 
gave evidence to the House of Commons, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee in 
September 2018.  DCC Pritchard has since retired. 

=

* The NPCC holds NO record of any of these officers evidence?

- I remind you that any evidence in any form- example : video held is subject to FOIAct requests.

It would seem extraordinary if it was all lost, or destroyed,.

Indeed, it would seem careless to lose all the evidence.

- Do you also have a Link to the evidence given on record, as requested?

* Is there any record of DCC Pritchard’s 2018 evidence on your files?

* I wished to read any statistical evidence gathered for DCC Pritchard evidence, since any work he has done on the NPCC’s behalf would STILL contractually be in the ownership of The NPCC.

- Unless he was not asked /or contracted to represent by the NPCC at the time.

‘DCC Pritchard represented the NPCC and gave evidence to the House of Commons’

- Your response above states that he was, as a representive.

* Please confirm he was not contracted by payment , or involved with the the NPCC, ie sent no emails to, or made any communication with the the NPCC about his evidence. Either to inform the NPCC of the evidence he was about to give, or post-evidence communication.

* Surely if a publicly financed body gives evidence to Parliament, it would at least keep a copy of the evidence given to refer to....unless that authority has complete contempt for Parliamentary proceedings?

* Didn’t he at least have a line manager /superior officer who took some slight interest?

And at least received a copy of his evidence and read, or watched data of his evidence?

- If not, I am astonished at the NPCC’s lack of interest in our democratic system of Parliamentary evidence.

* So please state that no NPCC senior officer holds any preparation, or subsequent, data on this Parliamentary committee meeting on his or her files.

You stated:
 
In addition she states that no  statistics are recorded centrally and each force will have their own statistics recorded.  

* Thank you. I was happy to receive some statistics, provided by an efficient authority and yet none by others...seemingly less efficient.

You state:

She has also confirm that the portfolio hasn’t been involved with an independent review of the effectiveness of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and wider dog control legislation. 

I do not understand the context of the ‘portfolio’ you are describing.

Dictionary reference for clarification:

portfolio
noun
1. 
a large, thin, flat case for loose sheets of paper such as drawings or maps."under his arm he carried a large portfolio of drawings"

2. a range of investments held by a person or organization."a portfolio of insured municipal securities"

* For clarification please could you state which definition you are using in the above context ‘ the portfolio ‘.

- And exactly what this portfolio is.

Nb A ‘portfolio’ would not be ‘involved’ alone in an independent review ...as it is a static form, rather than an organisation, or human being.

==

You state:
 
Normal standard of proof in determining whether a public authority does hold any requested 
information is the civil standard of the balance of probabilities.  
In deciding where the balance lies, the Information Commissioner considers the scope, quality, thoroughness and results of the searches carried out by the public authority as well as considering where appropriate, any other 
reasons offered by the public authority to explain why the information is not held. 
 
I have undertaken all of the necessary checks in establishing whether information is held which is 
captured by your request and any necessary steps with regard to retrieval of such 
information.  Searches have been conducted the NPCC portfolio that might relate to the subject 
matter to which your request refers and I am satisfied that the searches conducted to locate the 
information that you have requested have been robust.  There is no information held within the 
current portfolio and I therefore conclude that the information that you seek is not held by the NPCC. 

You state:

‘Searches have been conducted the NPCC portfolio that might ...’

- I do not understand the beginning of this sentence . It seems to make no sense.

- Please clarify.

‘There is no information held within the current portfolio’

- The FOIA applies to all Data on record. Current, or past.

 
It may assist you to understand that the NPCC portfolios do not share one IT system or 
database.  Officers working on behalf of the NPCC, work from their own force on their own force’s 
computer systems. 

* Then, contractually , the ownership of any such work remains with the NPCC, even if the work was done on an officer’s home computer. In fact, logically he must have communicated his evidence via this computer to the NPCC at some time.

- Please check again.

 

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/d...

Yours faithfully,

[Name Removed]

National Police Chiefs' Council

3 Attachments

Good morning

 

Please find attached acknowledgement of your request for an Internal
Review.

Sherry

 

Sherry Traquair

NPCC Freedom of Information Officer & Decision Maker

National Police FOI & DP Central Referral Unit (NPFDU)

 

National Police Chiefs’ Council

T   | 02380 478922

M | 077 685 53447

E   | [1][NPCC request email]

W | [2]www.npcc.police.uk

 

NB: Non-work day – Friday

 

[3]http://www.npcc.police.uk/NationalPolici...

 

[4]NPFDPU logo    [5]NPCC-blue-RGB

 

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References

Visible links
1. mailto:[NPCC request email]
2. http://www.npcc.police.uk/
3. http://www.npcc.police.uk/NationalPolici...

[Name Removed]

Dear National Police Chiefs' Council,

Wdtk reporting that you have exceeded the time limit.

Yours faithfully,

[Name Removed]

National Police Chiefs' Council

4 Attachments

 

 

Colin Ley-Smith | National Police Freedom of Information and Data
Protection Unit Manager | National Police Chief’s Council

Telephone: 01489 569823 or 101 extension 4647-501 | Email
[1][email address] or [2][email address]
Address: NPFDU PO Box 481, Fareham, Hampshire. PO14 9FS

[3]NPFDPU logo                              [4]NPCC-blue-RGB

 

From: NPCC FOI Request Mailbox
Sent: 24 April 2019 14:29
To: '[FOI #565670 email]'
<[FOI #565670 email]>
Subject: 078/18 Dangerous Dogs

 

Good afternoon

 

Please find attached NPCC response to your Freedom of Information request.

 

With kind regards.

 

Sherry

 

Sherry Traquair

NPCC Freedom of Information Officer & Decision Maker

National Police FOI & DP Central Referral Unit (NPFDU)

 

National Police Chiefs’ Council

T   | 02380 478922

M | 077 685 53447

E   | [5][NPCC request email]

W | [6]www.npcc.police.uk

 

NB: Non-work day – Friday

 

[7]http://www.npcc.police.uk/NationalPolici...

 

[8]NPFDPU logo    [9]NPCC-blue-RGB

 

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References

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1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[email address]
5. mailto:[NPCC request email]
6. http://www.npcc.police.uk/
7. http://www.npcc.police.uk/NationalPolici...

National Police Chiefs' Council

3 Attachments

Good morning

 

Please find attached the NPCC Internal Review of your Freedom of
Information request response.

 

Regards

Colin Ley-Smith | National Police Freedom of Information and Data
Protection Unit Manager | National Police Chief’s Council

Telephone: 01489 569823 or 101 extension 4647-501 | Email
[1][email address] or [2][email address]
Address: NPFDU PO Box 481, Fareham, Hampshire. PO14 9FS

[3]NPFDPU logo                              [4]NPCC-blue-RGB

 

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References

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1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[email address]

Dear National Police Chiefs' Council,

Thank you.

But I must state that I am astonished that a government agency would pay for further investigations without holding any statistics at all. How would it know what there was to investigate?

Surely there must have been some sort £ weighing up of the problem of before public money is spent?
A contract?

==

My understanding is now that person working for the police has carried off work - which he has been paid for, when in employment.

Are all police employees allowed to make off with police files when they retire?

Wouldn't this be fraudulent?

Yours faithfully,

[Name Removed]

National Police Chiefs' Council

Dear Mr Oakley

As stated within the Internal Review response letter, if you are dissatisfied with the outcome of this Internal Review, you have the right to appeal the decision by contracting the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for a decision on whether the request for information has been dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the FOIA.

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Phone: 0303 123 1113

The NPCC does not hold any records that provides an answer to your queries below.

Sherry Traquair

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Dear National Police Chiefs' Council,

Please don’t assume that I am a man.

I am a woman.

And yes, I know that I can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office .

But as stated, I’m astounded that public money is being spent on a further investigation, without reference to some statistical evidence.

Surely a contract outlining the problem and information to be investigated / background must exist?

- You seem to be stating that no contract exists?

Please could you make that plain as to whether, or not, it does before I refer to the Information Commissioner’s Office .

- As it is a waste of everyone’s time if it does, and public money.

Yours faithfully,

[Name Removed]

National Police Chiefs' Council

Dear [title redacted] Oakley

I'm not clear about which record you are seeking. I can confirm that there is no contract around this issue. If you wish to request further recorded information from the NPCC, please don't hesitate to contact me. However, in wishing to assist you, I must advise that I am unable to provide answers to questions, unless those answers are already recorded at the time of a request.

On this occasion, I am unable to assist you any further.

With kindest regards.

Sherry

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Dear National Police Chiefs' Council,

This one. 23. as above,

There has to be a contract, or some form of written direction, if an’ independent’ review is commissioned, on a cost basis.

- Even if it is in house.

Nb It’s in the request.

=

23. To ensure the public receives the best possible protection, the Government should commission an independent review of the effectiveness of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and wider dog control legislation. This review should begin no later than January 2019. We expect this review to take account of the concerns and recommendations raised throughout this Report.

Yours faithfully,

[Name Removed]

National Police Chiefs' Council

[Name Removed]

I can further confirm that no such records are held by the NPCC and refer you to my initial response and to the Internal Review by Colin Ley-Smith.

I'm very sorry that we are unable to assist you. You may wish to pursue a complaint with the ICO.

Kind regards.

Sherry

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