Return Home Interviews and missing children

The request was partially successful.

Dear Kent Police,

Please find below a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act. The data I require relates to Return Home Interviews (RHI), child exploitation and missing children

When you respond with confirmation that you have received my request, could you please advise whether any clarification is needed in order to complete my request? Please ensure any questions arrive to me prior to the 20 day deadline.

My questions are:
+ How many instances of missing children did you have reported to you Jan 2017-Jan 2019? Can you send gender/age/location/outcome breakdown? Please can you also indicate how many different children were reported missing for comparison.
+ Can you send me your information sharing protocols from local authority Return Home Interviews, if you have any? Please indicate if you do not.
+ If a senior member of staff is happy to offer an opinion - would you say you feel enough information is being shared with you by local authorities from return interviews? (Y/N)
+Do you have any data gathering mechanisms for whether child exploitation happens in particular areas and is this database supported by information gained from information sharing with the local authority?
+How many times was child exploitation reported to you in connection with a Return Home Interview Jan 2014-Jan 2019?

Yours faithfully,

Poppy Damon

Freedom of Information Kent,

2 Attachments

Dear Ms Damon,

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REF 19/03/357

 

Thank you for your request received by Kent Police on 4 March 2019. I note
you seek access, in summary, to information relating to:

 

Return Home Interviews

 

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) provides that a public
authority respond to an FOI request within 20 working days. Please be
aware that as well as experiencing very high request volumes, Kent Police
is currently in the process of transitioning to a new crime recording
database. This means that whilst we will endeavour to complete your
request as soon as possible it is likely that a response may well be
delayed, particularly where crime data is sought.

 

Your interest in Kent Police is appreciated and pending a specific
response to your request, I enclose a sheet, which summarises your rights.
Should you have any further inquiries concerning this matter, please write
or contact us via the following telephone numbers 01622 652610 quoting the
reference number above.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Alan Muggridge

Public Disclosure Officer

Information Security and Governance

Kent Police

This email and any other accompanying document(s) contain information from
Kent Police and/or Essex Police, which is confidential or privileged. The
information is intended to be for the exclusive use of the individual(s)
or bodies to whom it is addressed. The content, including any subsequent
replies, could be disclosable if relating to a criminal investigation or
civil proceedings. If you are not the intended recipient, be aware that
any disclosure, copying, distribution or other use of the contents of this
information is prohibited. If you have received this email in error,
please notify us immediately by contacting the sender or telephoning Kent
Police on 01622 690690 or Essex Police on 01245 491491, as appropriate.
For further information regarding Kent Police’s or Essex Police’s use of
personal data please go to
https://www.kent.police.uk/policy/privac... or
https://www.essex.police.uk/copyright-pr...

Freedom of Information Kent,

1 Attachment

Dear Ms Damon,

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REF 19/03/357

 

Thank you for your request received by Kent Police on 4 March 2019.

 

Please find below a request for information under the Freedom of
Information Act. The data I require relates to Return Home Interviews
(RHI), child exploitation and missing children

 

When you respond with confirmation that you have received my request,
could you please advise whether any clarification is needed in order to
complete my request? Please ensure any questions arrive to me prior to the
20 day deadline.

 

My questions are:

1) How many instances of missing children did you have reported to you Jan
2017-Jan 2019? Can you send gender/age/location/outcome breakdown? Please
can you also indicate how many different children were reported missing
for comparison.

2)  Can you send me your information sharing protocols from local
authority Return Home Interviews, if you have any? Please indicate if you
do not.

If a senior member of staff is happy to offer an opinion - would you

3) say you feel enough information is being shared with you by local
authorities from return interviews? (Y/N)

4) Do you have any data gathering mechanisms for whether child
exploitation happens in particular areas and is this database supported by
information gained from information sharing with the local authority?

5) How many times was child exploitation reported to you in connection
with a Return Home Interview Jan 2014-Jan 2019?

 

Unfortunately your request engages the cost exemption at Section 12 FOIA.
Section 12 provides an exemption from a public authority’s obligation to
comply with a request for information where the cost of compliance is
estimated to exceed the appropriate limit. The Freedom of Information and
Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004 state that
the appropriate cost limit is 18 hours in the case of the Police Service.

 

The reasons for this is are part of question 1, and question 5.

For question 1, it is not possible to report automatically the outcome of
a missing person report.  This is because missing reports and found
reports (where the outcome would be stored) are held on separate reporting
systems and cannot be linked automatically.  To determine the outcome of
each missing person report would require the manual review and cross
reference of all missing and found reports, amounting to many thousands of
records and is estimated to exceed 18 hours’ work.

For question 5, it is not possible to determine automatically if a child
reported missing were to be subject to child exploitation, and it would
require the manual review of thousands of records estimated to exceed the
18 working hour limit.

 

When Section 12 is engaged, our duty under Section 16 requires that we
assist you in refining your request so as to bring it within the cost
limit. In this instance we would suggest the following refinement:

 

Please find below a request for information under the Freedom of
Information Act. The data I require relates to Return Home Interviews
(RHI), child exploitation and missing children

 

When you respond with confirmation that you have received my request,
could you please advise whether any clarification is needed in order to
complete my request? Please ensure any questions arrive to me prior to the
20 day deadline.

 

My questions are:

1) How many instances of missing children did you have reported to you Jan
2017-Jan 2019? Can you send gender/age/location/ breakdown? Please can you
also indicate how many different children were reported missing for
comparison.

2)  Can you send me your information sharing protocols from local
authority Return Home Interviews, if you have any? Please indicate if you
do not.

If a senior member of staff is happy to offer an opinion - would you

3) say you feel enough information is being shared with you by local
authorities from return interviews? (Y/N)

4) Do you have any data gathering mechanisms for whether child
exploitation happens in particular areas and is this database supported by
information gained from information sharing with the local authority?

 

If you would like to proceed with the refined request please advise us and
we will log and process the new request as soon as possible. You will be
contacted with a new reference number if this is the case.

 

Should you have any further inquiries concerning this matter, please do
not hesitate to contact us.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Alan Muggridge

Public Disclosure Officer

Information Security and Governance

Kent Police

 

 

From: Freedom of Information Kent
Sent: 05 March 2019 09:44
To: 'Poppy Damon' <[FOI #558290 email]>
Subject: Kent Police FOI request 19/03/357

 

Dear Ms Damon,

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REF 19/03/357

 

Thank you for your request received by Kent Police on 4 March 2019. I note
you seek access, in summary, to information relating to:

 

Return Home Interviews

 

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) provides that a public
authority respond to an FOI request within 20 working days. Please be
aware that as well as experiencing very high request volumes, Kent Police
is currently in the process of transitioning to a new crime recording
database. This means that whilst we will endeavour to complete your
request as soon as possible it is likely that a response may well be
delayed, particularly where crime data is sought.

 

Your interest in Kent Police is appreciated and pending a specific
response to your request, I enclose a sheet, which summarises your rights.
Should you have any further inquiries concerning this matter, please write
or contact us via the following telephone numbers 01622 652610 quoting the
reference number above.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Alan Muggridge

Public Disclosure Officer

Information Security and Governance

Kent Police

This email and any other accompanying document(s) contain information from
Kent Police and/or Essex Police, which is confidential or privileged. The
information is intended to be for the exclusive use of the individual(s)
or bodies to whom it is addressed. The content, including any subsequent
replies, could be disclosable if relating to a criminal investigation or
civil proceedings. If you are not the intended recipient, be aware that
any disclosure, copying, distribution or other use of the contents of this
information is prohibited. If you have received this email in error,
please notify us immediately by contacting the sender or telephoning Kent
Police on 01622 690690 or Essex Police on 01245 491491, as appropriate.
For further information regarding Kent Police’s or Essex Police’s use of
personal data please go to
https://www.kent.police.uk/policy/privac... or
https://www.essex.police.uk/copyright-pr...

Dear Freedom of Information team in Kent,

I would like to proceed with the refined request which I understand you will log and process as a new request as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely,

Poppy Damon

Freedom of Information Kent,

2 Attachments

Dear Ms Damon,

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REF 19/07/1012.

 

Thank you for your request received by Kent Police on 6^th July 2019. I
note you seek access, in summary, to information relating to:

 

Missing Children

 

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) provides that a public
authority respond to an FOI request within 20 working days. Please be
aware that as well as experiencing very high request volumes, Kent Police
is currently in the process of transitioning to a new crime recording
database. This means that whilst we will endeavour to complete your
request as soon as possible it is likely that a response may well be
delayed, particularly where crime data is sought.

 

Your interest in Kent Police is appreciated and pending a specific
response to your request, I enclose a sheet, which summarises your rights.
Should you have any further inquiries concerning this matter, please write
or contact us via the following telephone number 01622 652610 quoting the
reference number above.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Lakeisha Dowsey-Magog

Public Disclosure Assistant

 

[1][Kent Police request email]

Kent Police Public Disclosure Team

Coldharbour, London Road,

Aylesford, Kent, ME20 7SL

 

External Telephone: 01622 654429

 

This email and any other accompanying document(s) contain information from
Kent Police and/or Essex Police, which is confidential or privileged. The
information is intended to be for the exclusive use of the individual(s)
or bodies to whom it is addressed. The content, including any subsequent
replies, could be disclosable if relating to a criminal investigation or
civil proceedings. If you are not the intended recipient, be aware that
any disclosure, copying, distribution or other use of the contents of this
information is prohibited. If you have received this email in error,
please notify us immediately by contacting the sender or telephoning Kent
Police on 01622 690690 or Essex Police on 01245 491491, as appropriate.
For further information regarding Kent Police’s or Essex Police’s use of
personal data please go to
https://www.kent.police.uk/policy/privac... or
https://www.essex.police.uk/copyright-pr...

References

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1. mailto:[Kent Police request email]

Dear Freedom of Information Kent,

I have not received a response to my request within the legal time limit. Could I please have a reply to this by the end of the week?

Yours sincerely,

Poppy Damon

Freedom of Information Kent, Kent Police

1 Attachment

Dear Ms Damon,

 

I write in relation to the Freedom of Information request you made to Kent
Police on 6^th July 2019 concerning Missing Children. Unfortunately, due
to an increase in workload there has been a delay in responding to some
FOI requests and for this I apologise.

 

We are working on progressing your request and will respond as soon as
possible.

 

Yours Sincerely,

 

Lakeisha Dowsey-Magog

Public Disclosure Assistant

Information Security and Governance

Kent Police

 

This email and any other accompanying document(s) contain information from
Kent Police and/or Essex Police, which is confidential or privileged. The
information is intended to be for the exclusive use of the individual(s)
or bodies to whom it is addressed. The content, including any subsequent
replies, could be disclosable if relating to a criminal investigation or
civil proceedings. If you are not the intended recipient, be aware that
any disclosure, copying, distribution or other use of the contents of this
information is prohibited. If you have received this email in error,
please notify us immediately by contacting the sender or telephoning Kent
Police on 01622 690690 or Essex Police on 01245 491491, as appropriate.
For further information regarding Kent Police’s or Essex Police’s use of
personal data please go to
https://www.kent.police.uk/policy/privac... or
https://www.essex.police.uk/copyright-pr...

Freedom of Information Kent, Kent Police

2 Attachments

Dear Ms Damon,

 

With reference to the Freedom of Information request that we received from
you on 6^th July 2019 please find attached the response letter and
accompanying appendix.

 

Should you have any queries relating to this then please do not hesitate
to contact us.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Public Disclosure Officer

Information Security and Governance

Kent Police

 

 

 

 

 

 

This email and any other accompanying document(s) contain information from
Kent Police and/or Essex Police, which is confidential or privileged. The
information is intended to be for the exclusive use of the individual(s)
or bodies to whom it is addressed. The content, including any subsequent
replies, could be disclosable if relating to a criminal investigation or
civil proceedings. If you are not the intended recipient, be aware that
any disclosure, copying, distribution or other use of the contents of this
information is prohibited. If you have received this email in error,
please notify us immediately by contacting the sender or telephoning Kent
Police on 01622 690690 or Essex Police on 01245 491491, as appropriate.
For further information regarding Kent Police’s or Essex Police’s use of
personal data please go to
https://www.kent.police.uk/policy/privac... or
https://www.essex.police.uk/copyright-pr...