Recovered vehicles

The request was partially successful.

Dear Metropolitan Police Service (MPS),

It is my understanding that when a vehicle is recovered (for example, after being stolen), the police will store this vehicle at cost to the vehicle owner or insurer.

Please let me know

1) Do you store recovered vehicles?

2) If so, what is the cost per day per vehicle charged to the owner or insurer? Please list cost for common vehicle types such as motorbikes, cars, vans and HGV's

3) Must all recovered vehicles be examined by a forensics team before they can be released by the police to the vehicles registered keeper or insurance company?

4) What is the average length of time (in days) between a vehicle being recovered and a forensics team examining the vehicle for the years 2008, 2009 and 2010?

5) Are your vehicle storage facilities owned and operated by you, or are they contracted to a third party?

6) If a third party is contracted to store vehicles on your behalf, what is the cost per day, per vehicle for vehicle storage incurred by you?

Yours faithfully,

Richard Newton

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

Dear Mr. Newton

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2011030004379
I write in connection with your request for information which was received
by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 25/03/2011. I note you seek
access to the following information:

"It is my understanding that when a vehicle is recovered (for example,
after being stolen), the police will store this vehicle at cost to the
vehicle owner or insurer.
Please let me know
1) Do you store recovered vehicles?

2) If so, what is the cost per day per vehicle charged to the owner or
insurer? Please list cost for common vehicle types such as motorbikes,
cars, vans and HGV's

3) Must all recovered vehicles be examined by a forensics team before they
can be released by the police to the vehicles registered keeper or
insurance company?

4) What is the average length of time (in days) between a vehicle being
recovered and a forensics team examining the vehicle for the years 2008,
2009 and 2010?

5) Are your vehicle storage facilities owned and operated by you, or are
they contracted to a third party?

6) If a third party is contracted to store vehicles on your behalf, what
is the cost per day, per vehicle for vehicle storage incurred by you? "

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, subject to
the information not being exempt or containing a reference to a third
party. In some circumstances the MPS may be unable to achieve this
deadline. If this is likely you will be informed and given a revised
time-scale at the earliest opportunity.

Some requests may also require either full or partial transference to
another public authority in order to answer your query in the fullest
possible way. Again, you will be informed if this is the case.

COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Your attention is drawn to the attached sheet, which details your right of
complaint.

Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please write
or contact me at the above e-mail address, quoting the reference number
above.

Yours sincerely

R. Loizou
Policy and Support Officer
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 and encouraged to
discuss the decision with the case officer that dealt with your request.

Ask to have the decision looked at again ***

The quickest and easiest way to have the decision looked at again is to
telephone the case officer that is nominated at the end of your decision
letter.

That person will be able to discuss the decision, explain any issues and
assist with any problems.

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
Public Access Office
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.informationcommissioner.gov.uk.
Alternatively, phone or write to:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Phone: 01625 545 700

The Metropolitan Police Service is here for London - on the streets and in
your community, working with you to make our city 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).

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

Dear Mr Newton

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2011030004379

I write in connection with your request for information which was
received by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 25/03/2011. I note
you seek access to the following information:

** It is my understanding that when a vehicle is recovered (for
example, after being stolen), the police will store this vehicle at cost
to the vehicle owner or insurer. Please let me know

1) Do you store recovered vehicles?
2) If so, what is the cost per day per vehicle charged to the owner or
insurer? Please list cost for common vehicle types such as motorbikes,
cars, vans and HGV's
3) Must all recovered vehicles be examined by a forensics team before they
can be released by the police to the vehicles registered keeper or
insurance company?
4) What is the average length of time (in days) between a vehicle being
recovered and a forensics team examining the vehicle for the years 2008,
2009 and 2010?
5) Are your vehicle storage facilities owned and operated by you, or are
they contracted to a third party?
6) If a third party is contracted to store vehicles on your behalf, what
is the cost per day, per vehicle for vehicle storage incurred by you?

EXTENT OF SEARCHES TO LOCATE INFORMATION

To locate the information relevant to your request searches were conducted
within Human Resources.

RESULT OF SEARCHES

The searches located records relevant to your request.

DECISION

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

1) Do you store recovered vehicles?
Yes, the Vehicle Recovery and Examination Service of the Metropolitan
Police Service stores recovered vehicles at its two "in house" car pounds
and also at Contractor pounds as needed.

2) If so, what is the cost per day per vehicle charged to the owner or
insurer? Please list cost for common vehicle types such as motorbikes,
cars, vans and HGV's
Daily rates are: Motorcycle **10; Car **20; 3.5 ton vehicle but not over
7.5 ton **25; 7.5 ton vehicle but not over 18 ton **30; 18 ton and over
**35.

3) Must all recovered vehicles be examined by a forensics team before they
can be released by the police to the vehicles registered keeper or
insurance company?
Vehicles are either forensicated with the agreement of the owner or as
part of an investigation of a serious accident/crime where the agreement
of the owner is unnecessary.

4) What is the average length of time (in days) between a vehicle being
recovered and a forensics team examining the vehicle for the years 2008,
2009 and 2010?
Vehicles are normally forensicated within 24 hours. Average length of
time between vehicles being recovered and forensification is not recorded.

5) Are your vehicle storage facilities owned and operated by you, or are
they contracted to a third party?
The MPS has two "in house" vehicle storage facilities which are leased to
the MPS/MPA. When additional storage space is required, other facilities
are provided by outside agents via contract.

6) If a third party is contracted to store vehicles on your behalf, what
is the cost per day, per vehicle for vehicle storage incurred by you?
Daily storage charges for vehicles recovered to contractual garages used
by the MPS vary from garage to garage in accordance with the terms of each
contract agreement as follows: Motorcycles **5.50 - **10; Car **7 - **10;
Commercial Vehicle **14 - **20.

COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Your attention is drawn to the attached sheet which details your right of
complaint.

Yours sincerely

Siobhan Finn
HR FOIA Manager
In complying with their statutory duty under sections 1 and 11 of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 to release the enclosed information, the
Metropolitan Police Service will not breach the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988. However, the rights of the copyright owner of the
enclosed information will continue to be protected by law. Applications
for the copyright owner's written permission to reproduce any part of the
attached information should be addressed to MPS Directorate of Legal
Services, 1st Floor (Victoria Block), New Scotland Yard, Victoria, London,
SW1H 0BG.
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 and encouraged to
discuss the decision with the case officer that dealt with your request.

Ask to have the decision looked at again ***

The quickest and easiest way to have the decision looked at again is to
telephone the case officer that is nominated at the end of your decision
letter.

That person will be able to discuss the decision, explain any issues and
assist with any problems.

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
Public Access Office
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.informationcommissioner.gov.uk.
Alternatively, phone or write to:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Phone: 01625 545 700

The Metropolitan Police Service is here for London - on the streets and in
your community, working with you to make our city 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).