Police reports
Dear Police Service of Northern Ireland,
Please provide me with policy's, legislation and what format a Police/crime report should be written. What information is required to be included and how it should be layed out. Please provide examples.
Yours faithfully,
Sean Campbell.
This e-mail has been marked OFFICIAL [PUBLIC];
22nd January 2024
Dear Mr. Campbell,
FREEDOM of INFORMATION ACT 2000
I write in connection with your request for information dated 22nd January
2024 which was received by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI)
on 22nd January 2024. I note you seek access to the following
information:
Police Reports
This request will be dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. A response should be sent to you within 20 working
days. The Freedom of Information team will advise you in writing if there
are any delays in responding to your request and will keep you advised of
progress.
If your request is unclear and clarification is required the 20 day
legislative time limit dictated by the Freedom of Information Act 2000
will be stopped until we receive clarification of your request. The ICO
guidance at paragraph 40 of the link below sets out that the clock begins
anew the day after the clarification is received. It states:
“If the requester subsequently provides enough detail to enable the
authority to identify and locate the information, then the authority must
respond to the clarified request within a new 20 working day time limit
with the ‘clock’ starting the day after it receives the required
clarification.“
The link for this is:
[1]https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/gui...
In the event where the cost of complying with the request would exceed the
“appropriate level”, which is fixed at £450, as stated in the Freedom of
Information Regulations 2004, it is the policy of the PSNI to close the
request. You will however be notified of this decision and given an
opportunity to refine and resubmit the request.
If your request requires either full or partial transference to another
public authority in order to answer your request again, you will be
notified.
If you have any queries regarding your request please write to the
Corporate Information Branch via email or the address below. Please
remember to quote the reference number listed above in any future
communications with the Corporate Information Branch.
If you are dissatisfied in any way with the handling of your request, you
have the right to request a review. You should do this as soon as possible
or in any case within two months of the date of issue of this letter. In
the event that you require a review to be undertaken, you can do so by
writing to the Corporate Information Manager, Corporate Information
Branch, PSNI Headquarters, 65 Knock Road, Belfast, BT5 6LE or by emailing
[email address].
If, following an Internal Review carried out by an independent decision
maker, you remain unhappy about how your request has been handled you have
the right to apply in writing to the Information Commissioner at
‘Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow,
Cheshire, SK9 5AF. There are a number of other platforms you can use to
contact the ICO and these can be found on the ICO’s website at the
following link: Make a complaint | ICO
([2]https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/).
In most circumstances, the Information Commissioner will not investigate a
complaint unless an internal review procedure has been carried out
however, the Commissioner has the option to investigate the matter at
their discretion.
Yours sincerely,
David
Corporate Information Branch
PSNI HQ Brooklyn
References
Visible links
1. https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/gui...
2. https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/
Dear Police Service of Northern Ireland,
By law the authority should have responded promptly and by 19 February 2024.
Yours faithfully,
Sean Campbell
This e-mail has been marked OFFICIAL [PUBLIC];
Subject: FOI-2024-00283
20th February 2024
Dear Mr. Sean Campbell,
FREEDOM of INFORMATION ACT 2000
I acknowledge receipt of your correspondence dated requesting that Police
Service of Northern Ireland review its response to your request for
information concerning:
Police Reports
An internal review will be conducted in accordance with Police Service of
Northern Ireland's review procedure.
In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 an independent
decision maker will carry out a review of this case and advise you in
writing of the outcome.
If you wish to discuss this matter prior to receiving a response please
contact me on 028 9070 0164. Please remember to quote the reference
number above in any future communications.
If, following an Internal Review carried out by an independent decision
maker, you remain dissatisfied about how your request has been handled you
have the right to apply in writing to the Information Commissioner at
‘Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow,
Cheshire, SK9 5AF. There are a number of other platforms you can use to
contact the ICO and these can be found on the ICO’s website at the
following link: Make a complaint | ICO
([1]https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/).
In most circumstances, the Information Commissioner will not investigate a
complaint unless an internal review procedure has been carried out
however, the Commissioner has the option to investigate the matter at
their discretion.
Yours sincerely,
Dee
Corporate Information Branch
PSNI HQ Brooklyn
References
Visible links
1. https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/
This e-mail has been marked OFFICIAL [PUBLIC];
Mr Campbell
Thank you for your email which received by PSNI on 20th February, 2024.
Timeliness
Your FOI request was initially received by the PSNI on the 22nd January, 2024 and unfortunately to date we have not provided you with a response. Please accept our apology.
Your request is on Day 21 of the 20 day legislative process, and as you have outlined the response to your initial request has not been completed within the timescales permitted within the FOIA. Unfortunately on this occasion PSNI has not complied with Section 10(1) of the FOIA i.e. 20 working days.
Due to the volume of requests received, we cannot provide a response date, however we will endeavour and hope to have a response issued in the next few weeks.
Please accept our apology the delay.
If you remain unhappy about how your request has been handled you have the right to apply in writing to the Information Commissioner at ‘Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, or use the ICO self-service portal available at:
www.ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/official...
Jane
Corporate Information Branch
Operations Support Department
PSNI Headquarters • Brooklyn • 65 Knock Road Belfast • BT5 6LE
This e-mail has been marked OFFICIAL [PUBLIC];
7th March 2024
Dear Mr. Campbell,
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000
I write in connection with your request for information dated 22nd January
2024 which was received by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI)
on 22nd January 2024. I note you seek access to the following
information:
Police Reports
To enable the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to meet your
request could you please provide further clarification on the following
You Requested
Please provide me with policy's, legislation and what format a
Police/crime report should be written. What information is required to be
included and how it should be layed out. Please provide examples.
Clarification Required
- Are you referring to a police crime report as in the initial
report to Police of an incident or the investigative report by the
Investigating Officer in relation to an incident?
- Or are you referring to some other Police/Crime Report?
You should be aware that the 20 day legislative time limit dictated by the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 has been stopped. Once we receive
clarification of your request a new 20 working day time limit will
commence.
Please send clarification of your request by writing to Corporate
Information Branch, PSNI Headquarters, 65 Knock Road Belfast BT5 6LE or by
email to [email address]. Alternatively, if you wish to discuss your
request or have any additional queries you can contact the Corporate
Information Branch on 028 9070 0164.
Yours sincerely,
ARW
Corporate Information Branch
PSNI HQ Brooklyn
Dear Police Service of Northern Ireland,
I am requesting information and examples of both, a police crime report as in the initial
report to Police of an incident and the investigative report by the
Investigating Officer in relation to an incident.
Yours faithfully,
Sean Campbell
Dear Police Service of Northern Ireland,
By law the authority should have responded promptly and by 11th April 2024. This is the second time this has been delayed. I would appreciate your urgent attention in this matter.
Yours faithfully,
Sean Campbell
This e-mail has been marked OFFICIAL [PUBLIC];
Subject: FOI-2024-00283
15th April 2024
Dear Mr. Campbell,
FREEDOM of INFORMATION ACT 2000
I write in connection with your request for information dated 11th March
2024 which was received by the Police Service of Northern Ireland on 11th
March 2024 concerning:
Police Reports
Please find attached response to your request.
Yours sincerely
ARW
Corporate Information Branch
PSNI HQ Brooklyn
DD 02890 700 164
Dear Police Service of Northern Ireland,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Police Service of Northern Ireland's handling of my FOI request 'Police reports'.
The information I received is vague as to the format of an incident report, who officially documents the information at the crime scene, the identification of those attending officers to the scene? How the evidence taken from the crime scene is logged and length of time it is to be held? How the incident report is written eg, first person view? How any previous threats to the victim are recorded and logged? How and when a statement is taken and how a victim can add vital information to their statement that they remember after the crime has taken place? Timescale in which the victim should be contacted by the PSNI after the actual crime has been committed? How does a victim verify the identity of a police officer if they suspect they are suspicious or fake? How the victim support op- out process is carried out, documented, logged and how to obtain a copy of said document? Why was it so difficult for me to obtain a copy of the incident report of the crime that happened to me? Why was it written in third person, did not contain the identity of the 2 attending officers and proof of when I allegedly opted out from victim support or even reported it in the incident report? Why the attending officer did not leave a voicemail message when he allegedly called me on numerous occasions when my phone log records refute this. Why was intimidation events after the crime that were reported to the PSNI ignored? Why did one of the attending officers turn up to the persons house, off duty who had threatened me and which I had accused of commiting the crime? Why was a statement not taken from the neighbour and from other neighbours? I contacted the neighbours and none were spoken to by the police or asked for doorbell cam footage. There are 4 cameras on my street. The neighbour that walked by seconds after the attack and can be heard on the 999 call was never in fact spoken to by the police as they claimed in the report that they did.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/p...
Yours faithfully,
Sean Campbell
This e-mail has been marked OFFICIAL [PUBLIC];
Subject: FOI-2024-00283
19th April 2024
Dear Mr. Sean Campbell,
FREEDOM of INFORMATION ACT 2000
I acknowledge receipt of your correspondence dated requesting that Police
Service of Northern Ireland review its response to your request for
information concerning:
Police Reports
An internal review will be conducted in accordance with Police Service of
Northern Ireland's review procedure.
In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 an independent
decision maker will carry out a review of this case and advise you in
writing of the outcome.
If you wish to discuss this matter prior to receiving a response please
contact me on 028 9070 0164. Please remember to quote the reference
number above in any future communications.
If, following an Internal Review carried out by an independent decision
maker, you remain dissatisfied about how your request has been handled you
have the right to apply in writing to the Information Commissioner at
‘Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow,
Cheshire, SK9 5AF. There are a number of other platforms you can use to
contact the ICO and these can be found on the ICO’s website at the
following link: Make a complaint | ICO
([1]https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/).
In most circumstances, the Information Commissioner will not investigate a
complaint unless an internal review procedure has been carried out
however, the Commissioner has the option to investigate the matter at
their discretion.
Yours sincerely,
David
Corporate Information Branch
PSNI HQ Brooklyn
References
Visible links
1. https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/
This e-mail has been marked OFFICIAL [PUBLIC];
Subject: FOI-2024-00283
29th April 2024
Dear Mr. Campbell,
FREEDOM of INFORMATION ACT 2000
Following your request for us to review our previous response concerning
the following subject:
Police Reports
We can advise you that Police Service of Northern Ireland has now
completed its review and the response is attached.
In addition and although it sits outside of the FOIA under Section 16 ‘
Duty to Assist’, if you have a complaint in the way that PSNI dealt with
any incident, it can be raised with the Police Ombudsman for Northern
Ireland (PONI) and the following link to may be of assistance:
[1]English - Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland
Yours sincerely,
Jane
Corporate Information Branch
Operations Support Department
PSNI Headquarters • Brooklyn • 65 Knock Road Belfast • BT5 6LE
References
Visible links
1. https://www.policeombudsman.org/Complain...
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