Gambling & Crime

The request was partially successful.

Dear Sir/Madam,
Under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act I would like to request the following information:

1. Does screening for gambling disorder take place among detainees in any part of
your force? If yes:

a) Which detainees are being screened?
b) What are the triggers for a gambling screening?
c) Who does the screening and where?
d) What screening tools are used?
e) What pathways are in place if gambling problems are identified?

2. How many incidents attended during the period 1 January 2021 through to 31
December 2022 recorded the following key words – gambling, betting or casino?
Please provide for each incident:
a) The month/year the incident occurred
b) Alleged offence/reason for police attendance
c) Gender
d) Race
e) Age
f ) Outcome of the incident (e.g. charge and summons, caution, community
resolution)

3. How many crimes recorded during the period 1 January 2021 through to 31
December 2022 recorded the key word ‘gambling’? Please provide for each
instance:
g) The month and year the crime occurred
h) Alleged offence/reason for police attendance
i) Suspect/offender’s gender
j) Suspect/offender’s race
k) Suspect/offender’s age
l) Outcome (e.g. charge and summons, caution, community resolution)

I would like the information in an excel spreadsheet. If you have any questions then I'm happy to be contacted on my BBC email [email address] or my mobile 07841 004 270

Yours faithfully,

Rowan Bridge

Freedom of Information, West Midlands Police

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Dear West Midlands Police,
Further to my FoI request, this is based on a similar request that was put in by the Howard League. When it came to categorising offences they used the following codes. If you could do the same in any response to me that would be helpful.
The codes they use don't correlate I suspect to the Home Office counting rules (A; AA etc) but I assume the categories (violence against the person etc) do.
Yours faithfully,
Rowan Bridge

From their report https://howardleague.org/wp-content/uplo...
Page 45 Appendix C)

The following codes and offence categories were used: A- Violence against the person;
AA- Violence without injury; AB- Violence with injury; AC- Death or serious injury
caused by unlawful driving; AD- Homicide; AE- Stalking and harassment; B- Possession
of weapons; C- Sexual offences; CA- Other sexual offences; CB- Rape; D- Robbery;
E- Burglary; EA- Burglary residential; EB- Burglary business and community; F- Theft;
F1- Other theft; F2- Theft from the person; F3- Bicycle theft; F4- Shoplifting; G- Fraud;
H- Arson and criminal damage; HA-Arson; HB- Criminal damage; I- Drugs offences;
IA- Trafficking of drugs; IB- Possession of drugs; J-Public order; K- Miscellaneous crimes
against society; L- Vehicle offences; NA- Not known

Freedom of Information, West Midlands Police

5 Attachments

Dear Rowan Bridge

 

FOI Request Reference: 174A/23

 

Thank you for your request for information, received 26^th Jan 2023.

 

REQUEST

 

1. Does screening for gambling disorder take place among detainees in any
part of your force? If yes:

 

a) Which detainees are being screened?

b) What are the triggers for a gambling screening?

c) Who does the screening and where?

d) What screening tools are used?

e) What pathways are in place if gambling problems are identified?

 

2. How many incidents attended during the period 1 January 2021 through to
31 December 2022 recorded the following key words – gambling, betting or
casino?

Please provide for each incident:

a) The month/year the incident occurred

b) Alleged offence/reason for police attendance

c) Gender

d) Race

e) Age

f) Outcome of the incident (e.g. charge and summons, caution, community

resolution)

 

3. How many crimes recorded during the period 1 January 2021 through to 31
December 2022 recorded the key word ‘gambling’?  Please provide for each

instance:

g) The month and year the crime occurred

h) Alleged offence/reason for police attendance

i) Suspect/offender’s gender

j) Suspect/offender’s race

k) Suspect/offender’s age

l) Outcome (e.g. charge and summons, caution, community resolution)

 

 

RESPONSE

 

Please find enclosed our response.

 

1. Does screening for gambling disorder take place among detainees in any
part of your force?

 

West Midlands Police do not currently screen detainees for gambling
disorders.

 

2. How many incidents attended during the period 1 January 2021 through to
31 December 2022 recorded the following key words – gambling, betting or
casino?

 

Please provide for each incident:

a) The month/year the incident occurred

b) Alleged offence/reason for police attendance

c) Gender

d) Race

e) Age

f) Outcome of the incident (e.g. charge and summons, caution, community

resolution)

 

3. How many crimes recorded during the period 1 January 2021 through to 31
December 2022 recorded the key word ‘gambling’?  Please provide for each

instance:

g) The month and year the crime occurred

h) Alleged offence/reason for police attendance

i) Suspect/offender’s gender

j) Suspect/offender’s race

k) Suspect/offender’s age

l) Outcome (e.g. charge and summons, caution, community resolution)

 

For Questions 2 and 3 please see Attachment (174A/23)

 

Please note that:

 

Keyword searches are notoriously unreliable, the reasons why searches
using this method are not reliable include (but are not limited to) the
following: -

a) Searches rely on the keywords being spelt correctly with no grammatical
errors

b) Searches rely on the keywords actually being mentioned in the summary
description of the record – if they are mentioned anywhere else within the
record but not in the summary, then they will not feature in any results

c) Some results may have nothing to do with the actual keyword, for
example, your wanted incidents / crimes as detailed above, however it may
be the Modus Operandi is “I was walking past the casino when …….”
Therefore, the crime had nothing to do with anything gambling related, it
was merely that the victim of that crime had been walking past the
location.

 

As recommended as good practice by the Information Commissioner’s Office a
version of this response may be published on the West Midlands Police
website.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

For further information and data on West Midlands Police see our
publication scheme and disclosure log

 

[1]http://foi.west-midlands.police.uk/

 

RIGHT OF APPEAL

 

Your attention is drawn to your right to request a re-examination of your
case under West Midlands Police review procedure, which can be found at:

 

[2]http://foi.west-midlands.police.uk/revie...

 

Please note that such an appeal must be received within 40 working days of
the date of this correspondence. Any such request received after this time
will only be considered at the discretion of the FOI Unit.

 

If you require any further information, then please do not hesitate to
contact me.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

 

 

 

Susan Goddard| Freedom of Information Officer
Corporate Communications | West Midlands Police
T: 101 (ext. 801 2068)

Preventing crime, protecting the public and helping those in need.

[3]If it’s not 999, search WMP Online

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This email is intended for the addressee only and may contain privileged
or confidential information. If received in error, please notify the
originator immediately. Any unauthorised use, disclosure, copying or
alteration of this email is strictly forbidden. Views or opinions
expressed in this email do not necessarily represent those of West
Midlands Police. All West Midlands Police email activity is monitored for
virus, racist, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate activity. No
responsibility is accepted by West Midlands Police for any loss or damage
arising in any way from the receipt or use of this email.

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