Operation Shield

The request was refused by Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime.

Dear Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime,

I would like to request the following information:

(1) The most recent draft (or finalised version) of the Operation Shield Operating Model.
(2) The most recent draft (or finalised version) of the Operation Shield Partnership Agreement.
(3) The most recent draft (or finalised version) of the Operation Shield Frequently Asked Questions.
(4) The most recent draft (or finalised version) of the Operation Shield Communication Plan.

Yours faithfully,

Patrick Kenner

MOPAC Enquiries, Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime

Thank you for contacting the Mayor's Office for Policing And Crime.

We are dealing with your enquiry and aim to provide a response within 20 working days.

Yours sincerely,

Information Team | Mayor’s Office for Policing And Crime | Telephone 0207 983 6532 | Email [email address] <mailto:[email address]> | Website www.london.gov.uk<http://www.london.gov.uk/> | Address City Hall ,The Queens Walk, London SE1 2AA

Air pollution can seriously affect us all, let's breathe better together
Sign up for free alerts on days when pollution is higher - http://bit.ly/1Mr0lBb

Sign up for a monthly Mail from the Mayor for the best of London delivered to your inbox. http://www.london.gov.uk/mayormail

GREATER LONDON AUTHORITY

show quoted sections

MOPAC FOI, Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime

Dear Mr Kenner

I am writing regarding your request for information, dated 16 March 2015.

Unfortunately, this information is currently being collated and it is unlikely that we will be able to provide a full response within the original 20 working day deadline.

Please accept my apologies for this delay and be assured that we are doing all we can to get a response to you as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely

Julia Harries | Information Team | Mayor’s Office for Policing And Crime | Telephone 0207 983 6532 | Email [email address] | Website www.london.gov.uk | Address City Hall ,The Queens Walk, London SE1 2AA

show quoted sections

MOPAC FOI, Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime

3 Attachments

Dear Mr Kenner

Thank you for your Freedom of Information request dated 16 March to the Mayor's Office for Policing And Crime (MOPAC). I apologise for the delay in replying to you.

You requested the following information:

(1) The most recent draft (or finalised version) of the Operation Shield Operating Model.
(2) The most recent draft (or finalised version) of the Operation Shield Partnership Agreement.
(3) The most recent draft (or finalised version) of the Operation Shield Frequently Asked Questions.
(4) The most recent draft (or finalised version) of the Operation Shield Communication Plan.

I confirm that your request has been handled under the Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) and that MOPAC does hold some information relating to your request, as follows:

The Shield Pilot Partnership Agreement and Operating Model (one document), the Shield Pilot frequently asked questions document and the Shield Communications Plan are attached. Parts of these documents have been redacted since the information is exempt from disclosure under the following sections of the FOI Act:

1. Section 31(1) (a) – (f) Prejudice to Law Enforcement – this applies where complying with the request would prejudice or would be likely to prejudice various law enforcement purposes including all aspects of the prevention or detection of crime, the apprehension or prosecution of offenders and the administration of justice.

2. Section 38 – endangering health and safety – this applies where complying with the request would be likely to endanger anyone’s physical or mental health or safety.

3. Section 40 - personal information. To disclose personal data of third parties would be in breach of data protection principles. This is an absolute exemption and no public interest test is required.

Sections 31 and 38 are prejudice based exemptions and are subject to the public interest test. This means that, for the exemptions to apply, not only does the information have to prejudice one of the law enforcement/health and safety considerations, but, before the information can be withheld, the public interest in preventing this prejudice must outweigh the public interest in disclosure.

The Prejudice Test

Section 31 - Disclosure of this information would reveal the process used by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to identify offenders and as such is a real, actual and substantial risk to the MPS’s and criminal justice bodies’ ability to prevent and detect crime, apprehend and prosecute offenders and administer justice.

Section 38 - Disclosure of this information would reveal details of how Operation Shield will operate and as such is a real, actual and substantial risk to the health and safety of the people of London.

The Public Interest Test

In this case, there is a very strong public interest in protecting the law enforcement capabilities of the MPS and criminal justice bodies and protecting society from the impact of crime. In addition, there is a very strong public interest in protecting the health and safety of the people of London who would be at risk if this information was disclosed.

Balanced against the need to protect the work of the MPS and criminal justice bodies, and the need to protect the health and safety of the people of London, there is also a public interest in disclosing information that holds such bodies to account and increases transparency about how they perform their functions and spend public money. Without such information the public may lack confidence and trust in these bodies.

On weighing up the competing interests set out above, I find the public interest favours not disclosing this information.

If you are unhappy with the response to your Freedom of Information request, please see the MOPAC website on what the next steps are at:

http://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/poli...

Yours sincerely

Julia Harries | Information Team | Mayor’s Office for Policing And Crime | Telephone 0207 983 6532 | Email [email address] | Website www.london.gov.uk | Address City Hall ,The Queens Walk, London SE1 2AA

show quoted sections

Dear Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime,

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

I am writing to request an internal review of Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime's handling of my FOI request 'Operation Shield'.

(1) I do not believe that all of the information redacted in the Operation Shield Partnership Agreement and Operating Model may fairly said to fall under exemptions s.31 and s.38 of the FOIA. I understand that some of the information may be justifiably exempted under s.31, however I believe that there is also much of it that while relating to policing, would not reasonably be expected to prejudice law enforcement. Secondly the engagement of s.38 has not been explained to me (beyond a restatement of the terms of the act) - how and why would it endanger the health and safety of anybody to disclose aspects of a operating model? I do not believe that this exemption has truly been engaged, and believe this decision needs to be reviewed.

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

Yours faithfully,

Patrick Kenner

MOPAC Enquiries, Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime

Thank you for contacting the Mayor's Office for Policing And Crime.

We are dealing with your enquiry and aim to provide a response within 20 working days.

Yours sincerely,

Information Team | Mayor’s Office for Policing And Crime | Telephone 0207 983 6532 | Email [email address] <mailto:[email address]> | Website www.london.gov.uk<http://www.london.gov.uk/> | Address City Hall ,The Queens Walk, London SE1 2AA

GREATER LONDON AUTHORITY

show quoted sections

MOPAC FOI, Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime

Dear Mr Kenner

Thank you for your email dated 13 May to the Mayor's Office for Policing And Crime (MOPAC) requesting an internal review of the handling of your Freedom of Information request 'Operation Shield'.

MOPAC will be back in touch with you with the result of the internal review within 20 working days of your request, that is by 12 June.

Yours sincerely

Julia Harries | Information Team | Mayor’s Office for Policing And Crime | Telephone 0207 983 6532 | Email [email address] | Website www.london.gov.uk | Address City Hall ,The Queens Walk, London SE1 2AA

show quoted sections

MOPAC FOI, Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Kenner

Thank you for your request dated 13 May for an Internal Review of your Freedom of Information request.

Please find the review attached.

Yours sincerely

Julia Harries | Information Team | Mayor’s Office for Policing And Crime | Telephone 0207 983 6532 | Email [email address] | Website www.london.gov.uk | Address City Hall ,The Queens Walk, London SE1 2AA

show quoted sections