Hate Crimes

The request was refused by Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

Dear Metropolitan Police Service (MPS),

I would be grateful if you could inform me of the following:

I am interested in the hate crime surge reported in light of the Brexit referendum campaign.

Can you please supply me with the reported hate crimes for the period February 2016 until October 2016 under the Metropolitan Police area.

Could you also please indicate the following:

- Hate crime types reported in this period (racial, religious, transgender, homophobic, to allow differentiation)

- The severity of the reported hate crime for these areas i.e. was their any reported injury

- The nature of the reporting: was this directly to police stations (in person or by telephone) or through external partners.

- Where the reporting was through external partners, especially with regards to True Vision, what percentage of the reporting was deemed to be anonymous or without sufficient contact information (perhaps it was with pseudonyms).

- Lastly, of each category, how many were proceeded against.

Yours faithfully,

Stephen Green

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

Dear Mr Green

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2016110000587

I write in connection with your request for information which was received
by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 14/11/2016.  I note you seek
access to the following information:

"I am interested in the hate crime surge reported in light of the Brexit
referendum campaign.

Can you please supply me with the reported hate crimes for the period
February 2016 until October 2016 under the Metropolitan Police area.

Could you also please indicate the following:

- Hate crime types reported in this period (racial, religious,
transgender, homophobic, to allow differentiation)

- The severity of the reported hate crime for these areas i.e. was their
any reported injury

- The nature of the reporting: was this directly to police stations (in
person or by telephone) or through external partners.

- Where the reporting was through external partners, especially with
regards to True Vision, what percentage of the reporting was deemed to be
anonymous or without sufficient contact information (perhaps it was with
pseudonyms).

- Lastly, of each category, how many were proceeded against."

Your request will now be considered in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (the Act).  You will receive a response within the
statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Act.  

If you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please contact
us at [email address] or on the phone at 0207 161 3500, quoting the
reference number above. Should your enquiry relate to the logging or
allocations process we will be able to assist you directly and where your
enquiry relates to other matters (such as the status of the request) we
will be able to pass on a message and/or advise you of the relevant
contact details.

Yours sincerely

Sheela Bhaskaran
Customer Services Administration Team
 
COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think the
decision is incorrect?

You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome to discuss the
response with the case officer who dealt with your request.  

Complaint

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.

Complaints should be made in writing, within forty (40) working days from
the date of the refusal notice, and addressed to:

FOI Complaint
Information Rights Unit
PO Box 57192
London
SW6 1SF
[email address]

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 20 working days.

The Information Commissioner

After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied with
the decision you may make application to the Information Commissioner for
a decision on whether the request for information has been dealt with in
accordance with the requirements of the Act.

For information on how to make application to the Information Commissioner
please visit their website at www.ico.org.uk.  Alternatively, write to or
phone:

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

Total Policing is the Met's commitment to be on the streets and in your
communities to catch offenders, prevent crime and support victims. We are
here for London, working with you to make our capital safer.

 

Consider our environment - please do not print this email unless
absolutely necessary.

NOTICE - This email and any attachments may be confidential, subject to
copyright and/or legal privilege and are intended solely for the use of
the intended recipient. If you have received this email in error, please
notify the sender and delete it from your system.  To avoid incurring
legal liabilities, you must not distribute or copy the information in this
email without the permission of the sender. MPS communication systems are
monitored to the extent permitted by law.  Consequently, any email and/or
attachments may be read by monitoring staff. Only specified personnel are
authorised to conclude any binding agreement on behalf of the MPS by
email. The MPS accepts no responsibility for unauthorised agreements
reached with other employees or agents.  The security of this email and
any attachments cannot be guaranteed. Email messages are routinely scanned
but malicious software infection and corruption of content can still occur
during transmission over the Internet. Any views or opinions expressed in
this communication are solely those of the author and do not necessarily
represent those of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

 

Find us at:

Facebook: Facebook.com/metpoliceuk

Twitter: @metpoliceuk

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

Dear Mr Green

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2016110000587

I respond in connection with your request for information which was
received by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 14/11/2016.  I note
you seek access to the following information:

I am interested in the hate crime surge reported in light of the Brexit
referendum campaign.

Can you please supply me with the reported hate crimes for the period
February 2016 until October 2016 under the Metropolitan Police area.

Could you also please indicate the following:

- Hate crime types reported in this period (racial, religious,
transgender, homophobic, to allow differentiation)

- The severity of the reported hate crime for these areas i.e. was their
any reported injury

- The nature of the reporting: was this directly to police stations (in
person or by telephone) or through external partners.

- Where the reporting was through external partners, especially with
regards to True Vision, what percentage of the reporting was deemed to be
anonymous or without sufficient contact information (perhaps it was with
pseudonyms).

- Lastly, of each category, how many were proceeded against.

SEARCHES TO LOCATE INFORMATION

To locate the information relevant to your request searches were conducted
by the Performance Helpdesk.

The searches located information relevant to your request.

DECISION

This response is to inform you that it will not be possible to respond to
your request within the cost threshold.  

This response serves as a Refusal Notice under Section 17 of the Freedom
of Information Act 2000 (the Act).  

Please see the legal annex for further information on the exemptions
applied in respect of your request.

REASONS FOR DECISION

Allegations of Crime, are recorded on the Crime Reporting Information
System (CRIS) albeit in a summary format  To establish if a Hate crime was
reported anonymously, would require the reviewing of ten of thousands
reports, to establish if a persons name or other name was withheld.

We therefore estimate that the cost of complying with this request would
exceed the appropriate limit. The appropriate limit has been specified in
regulations and for agencies outside central Government; this is set at
£450.00.   This represents the estimated cost of one person spending 18
hours [at a rate of £25 per hour] in determining whether the MPS holds the
information, and locating, retrieving and extracting the information.

I would like to provide you with advice as to how you may narrow your
request so that it does not exceed the appropriate limit.

Should you require it, the MPS may be able to provide you with the
following information (subject to any exemptions which may apply):

A New FOI Request will need to be submitted.

Reported hate crimes for the period February 2016 until October 2016.

- Hate crime types reported in this period (racial, religious,
transgender, homophobic, to allow differentiation)

- The severity of the reported hate crime for these areas i.e. was their
any reported injury

- The nature of the reporting: was this directly to police stations (in
person or by telephone) or through external partners.

- Lastly, of each category, how many were proceeded against.

Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please
contact me via email at [email address], quoting the reference
number above.

Yours sincerely

Catherine Carrington
Privacy Advisor
Freedom of Information
Information Rights Unit (IRU)
Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)
PO Box 57192
London
SW6 1SF

LEGAL ANNEX

Section 17(5) of the Act provides:

(5) A public authority which, in relation to any request for information,
is relying on a claim that section 12 or 14 applies must, within the time
for complying with section 1(1), give the applicant a notice stating that
fact.

Section 12(1) of the Act provides:

(1) Section 1 does not oblige a public authority to comply with a request
for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying with
the request would exceed the appropriate limit.

Section 16 of the Act provides:

(1) It shall be the duty of a public authority 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
to it.

(2) Any public authority which, in relation to the provision of advice or
assistance in any case, conforms with the code of practice under section
45 is to be taken to comply with the duty imposed by subsection (1) in
relation to that case.
 
COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think the
decision is incorrect?

You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome to discuss the
response with the case officer who dealt with your request.  

Complaint

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.

Complaints should be made in writing, within forty (40) working days from
the date of the refusal notice, and addressed to:

FOI Complaint
Information Rights Unit
PO Box 57192
London
SW6 1SF
[email address]

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 20 working days.

The Information Commissioner

After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied with
the decision you may make application to the Information Commissioner for
a decision on whether the request for information has been dealt with in
accordance with the requirements of the Act.

For information on how to make application to the Information Commissioner
please visit their website at www.ico.org.uk.  Alternatively, write to or
phone:

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

Total Policing is the Met's commitment to be on the streets and in your
communities to catch offenders, prevent crime and support victims. We are
here for London, working with you to make our capital safer.

 

Consider our environment - please do not print this email unless
absolutely necessary.

NOTICE - This email and any attachments may be confidential, subject to
copyright and/or legal privilege and are intended solely for the use of
the intended recipient. If you have received this email in error, please
notify the sender and delete it from your system.  To avoid incurring
legal liabilities, you must not distribute or copy the information in this
email without the permission of the sender. MPS communication systems are
monitored to the extent permitted by law.  Consequently, any email and/or
attachments may be read by monitoring staff. Only specified personnel are
authorised to conclude any binding agreement on behalf of the MPS by
email. The MPS accepts no responsibility for unauthorised agreements
reached with other employees or agents.  The security of this email and
any attachments cannot be guaranteed. Email messages are routinely scanned
but malicious software infection and corruption of content can still occur
during transmission over the Internet. Any views or opinions expressed in
this communication are solely those of the author and do not necessarily
represent those of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

 

Find us at:

Facebook: Facebook.com/metpoliceuk

Twitter: @metpoliceuk

Dear Catherine / Metropolitan Police Service (MPS),

I have to say that I am surprised that at least part of the information was not provided, as seems to be usually the tendency and perhaps therefore the expectation in such a situation.

My primary concern was to determine the degree of anonymity in the various reported incidents over this period and how these break down across the different types of stated motivation (racial, religious, sexual orientation etc.) so that the 'Brexit effect' outlined could be better evaluated. Therefore your outline of an alternative request is not so helpful to this type of enquiry.

I will redraw my request as required, on a new basis.

Yours faithfully,

Stephen Green