Thank you for your communication, your enquiry will be dealt with within
our core office hours and you will be issued with a unique reference
number once your request has been processed and logged. 

 

Essex Police have developed a publication strategy, our aim is to reduce
the demand within the FOI Department and to provide knowledge to the
public to include previous and combined FOI requests together with
relevant links and information.  

  

Please visit this area of our website before submitting FOI requests as
information may already be available.   

 

[1]https://www.essex.police.uk/foi-ai/af/ac...

 

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/hyg/privacy/ or
https://www.essex.police.uk/hyg/privacy/. Additionally for our Terms and
Conditions please go to https://www.kent.police.uk/hyg/terms-con...
or https://www.essex.police.uk/hyg/terms-co...

References

Visible links
1. https://www.essex.police.uk/foi-ai/af/ac...

Thank you for your request for information, which has been logged under
the above reference number.     

  

Essex Police will endeavour to respond to your application within 20
working days, as set out within the Freedom of Information Act 2000
(FOIA).  If a time extension is to be applied to your request, you will be
informed; the reason for the extension will also be provided.     

  

Please note that Essex Police may refuse detailed or multiple requests
that are submitted at the same time, as per [1]Section 14 of the FOIA.
Furthermore, if the information sought is already publicly available, you
may be redirected to our publication scheme:
[2]https://www.essex.police.uk/foi-ai/af/ac... or other
official links, such as the [3]PFCC, [4]Home Office or the [5]Office for
National Statistics  

   

Should you need to contact us whilst your information request is being
processed, please email [6][Essex Police request email], quoting
the above reference, and a member of the team will assist.    

 

Freedom of Information

Information Rights Team | Information Compliance & Assurance

Information Management Dept. | Professionalism Command

Essex Police

Email: [7][Essex Police request email]

Telephone: 01245 452647 (Open office hours, Monday to Friday or
answerphone facility available)

Address: Information Rights Team, Information Management Dept., Essex
Police HQ, PO Box 2, Chelmsford CM2 6DA 

Services offered by Information Rights Team: [8]Information Rights | Essex
Police

 

Find out what is happening in your area: [9]Your area | Essex Police

Contact Us: [10]Help us help you | Essex Police 

Report non-emergency crime online: [11]Report | Essex Police

How do we use your data: [12]Privacy notice | Essex Police

 

 

 

show quoted sections

Thank you for your Freedom of information (FOI) request logged under the
above reference.  

   

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) places two duties on public
authorities:    

   

Unless exemptions apply, the first duty (at [1]Section 1(1)(a) is to
confirm or deny whether the information specified in a request is held.   

The second duty (at [2]Section 1(1)(b) is to disclose information that
has been confirmed as being held.    

However, where exemptions are relied upon ([3]Section 17 of FOIA), there
is a requirement to provide the applicant with an explanation either:  

a) stating the fact   

b) detailing the exemption(s) in question and  

c) why the exemption applies (if not apparent).  

   

Information Request – which has been numbered to assist with the
disclosure

 

1. For the individual years 2018 to 2023 (inclusive), please could you
provide information pertaining to the ten speed cameras in the county of
Essex which record the highest number of speeding drivers.

 

2. For the individual years 2018 to 2023 (inclusive), please could you
also provide information pertaining to the ten speed cameras in the
borough of Colchester which record the highest number of speeding drivers.

 

3. Could you also provide data pertaining to the highest speed recorded by
a speed camera in both the Essex county and Colchester borough for the
individual years 2018 to 2023.

 

FOI Duty  

First Duty – Essex Police does hold information relating to your
request.   

Second Duty – See below 

Fact – See below 

Exemption – This disclosure is subject to the following exemption:
[4]Section 31(1)(a)(b) Law Enforcement. 

 

Essex Police can report as follows: 

  

Caveat: The data is correct as at 25 April 2024

 

With regard to Question 3, please see the following table providing the
highest recorded speeds per year for the overall Essex Policing Area and
the Colchester Policing District area:

 

Highest Recorded Speed by Location and Year – 2018 to 2023

Location Highest Recorded Speed (MPH)
  2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Essex Policing Area 149 158 147 157 158 175
Colchester District 93 111 89 99 101 96

 

Every effort is made to ensure that the data provided by Essex Police is
accurate and complete. However, Essex Police systems are designed
primarily for the management of individual cases and not for the purposes
of providing data to answer specific FOI enquiries. Please note although
data can be extracted from a number of sources via database queries, the
results may be subject to inaccuracies. Care should be taken to understand
our return when considering the interpretation or further use of the data.

 

With regard to Questions 1 and 2, no further details of the annual numbers
of speeding offence detections recorded at specific speed camera sites
between 2018 and 2023 will be provided by virtue of the exemption
[5]Section 31(1)(a)(b) Law Enforcement.

 

Evidence of Harm

 

Disclosure of full information on individual speed camera sites or the
numbers of speeding offence detections recorded at a specific speed camera
site that may be held at any time could be of intelligence value to a
person or persons with criminal or malicious intent. Full disclosure could
provide and enable targeted malicious actions, be that some form of attack
on a location or avoiding that location for example where strengths and
weakness may be perceived (whether incorrectly or not).

 

To disclose details of individual speed camera sites or the numbers of
speeding offence detections recorded at a specific speed camera site could
cause harm to the Police Service’s ability to protect the public it serves
and could prejudice its ability to perform core functions such as the
prevention and detection of crime. Releasing this data would give
individuals with criminal intent the intelligence required to disrupt
Police activity and target innocent members of the public. Criminals would
be able to identify in which force areas resources including equipment are
weak and use this knowledge to their advantage in furthering criminal
activity around the county and the country as a whole. The disclosure of
information which is likely to undermine the Police Service’s ability to
serve the public in preventing and detecting crime and the apprehension
and prosecution of offenders can only be considered as being harmful to
the public.

Public Interest Test

Factors Favouring Disclosure

 

By providing this detail of information Essex Police would be providing
the public with awareness on how funds are spent and reassurance on our
law enforcement activities in protecting public safety on the roads.

 

Factors Against Disclosure

 

Releasing granular details on individual speed camera sites operated by
Essex Police and the specific numbers of speeding offences detected that
result from their functioning (and in particular those camera sites that
have detected low numbers of speeding offences) would allow individuals to
calculate their chances of being detected by speed cameras.

 

Balancing Test

 

The Police Service is charged with enforcing the law, preventing and
detecting crime and protecting the communities we serve and there is a
public interest argument in ensuring we are open and transparent. However,
the disclosure of Police resources which would harm the ability of Essex
Police to prevent and detect crime is a more influential reason. Speed
cameras are a deterrent to try to minimise speeding, and anything that
would reduce that effectiveness would be detrimental to law enforcement.
Essex Police take public safety of paramount importance and therefore on
balance we will not provide any further detail in answer to these
questions.

 

The following articles available via our publication scheme may also be of
interest:

 

[6]Published Items - Speed Cameras | Essex Police

 

Please note the above request will be included within our [7]Publication
Scheme.  

  

Thank you for your interest in Essex Police. 

 

Freedom of Information 

Information Rights Team | Information Compliance & Assurance  

Information Management Dept. | Professionalism Command 

Essex Police 

Email: [8][Essex Police request email] 

Telephone: 01245 452647 (Open office hours, Monday to Friday or
answerphone facility available) 

Address: Information Rights Team, Information Management Dept., Essex
Police HQ, PO Box 2, Chelmsford CM2 6DA   

Services offered by Information Rights Team: [9]Information Rights | Essex
Police 

  

Find out what is happening in your area: [10]Your area | Essex Police  

Contact Us: [11]Help us help you | Essex Police   

Report non-emergency crime online: [12]Report | Essex Police 

How do we use your data: [13]Privacy notice | Essex Police 

 

FOI requests  

Before submission of an FOI Information request, please visit: [14]How to
access information from a public body | ICO and please review our
publications regarding various subjects through [15]Accessing information
| Essex Police to prevent unnecessary requests.  

  

Your right to complain  

  

If you feel your request has not been properly handled, or you are
otherwise dissatisfied with the outcome of your request you have the right
to complain.  

  

Under [16]Section 17(7)(a)(b) FOIA complaints should be submitted within
40 working days from the date of this response and should be addressed to
the Information Rights Manager at the above address or by email to:
[17][Essex Police request email] we will conduct a review to
investigate your complaint and endeavour to reply within 40 working days.
Please explain which aspect of the disclosure you are not satisfied with,
and if your complaint concerns the decision to apply an exemption. 

  

If you are still dissatisfied following our review, you have the right
under the [18]Section 50 FOIA to complain directly to the Information
Commissioner. Before considering your complaint, the Information
Commissioner would normally expect you to have exhausted the complaints
procedures provided by Essex Police.  The Information Commissioner can be
contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water
Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF or via [19]Home | ICO

 

From: Info Rights Freedom Essex <[Essex Police request email]>
Sent: Monday, April 8, 2024 10:44 AM
To: Daniel Rees <[FOI #1113749 email]>
Subject: FOI 20038 Data on Speed Cameras - 2018 to 2023

 

Thank you for your request for information, which has been logged under
the above reference number.     

  

Essex Police will endeavour to respond to your application within 20
working days, as set out within the Freedom of Information Act 2000
(FOIA).  If a time extension is to be applied to your request, you will be
informed; the reason for the extension will also be provided.     

  

Please note that Essex Police may refuse detailed or multiple requests
that are submitted at the same time, as per [20]Section 14 of the FOIA.
Furthermore, if the information sought is already publicly available, you
may be redirected to our publication scheme:
[21]https://www.essex.police.uk/foi-ai/af/ac... or other
official links, such as the [22]PFCC, [23]Home Office or the [24]Office
for National Statistics  

   

Should you need to contact us whilst your information request is being
processed, please email [25][Essex Police request email], quoting
the above reference, and a member of the team will assist.    

 

Freedom of Information

Information Rights Team | Information Compliance & Assurance

Information Management Dept. | Professionalism Command

Essex Police

Email: [26][Essex Police request email]

Telephone: 01245 452647 (Open office hours, Monday to Friday or
answerphone facility available)

Address: Information Rights Team, Information Management Dept., Essex
Police HQ, PO Box 2, Chelmsford CM2 6DA 

Services offered by Information Rights Team: [27]Information Rights |
Essex Police

 

Find out what is happening in your area: [28]Your area | Essex Police

Contact Us: [29]Help us help you | Essex Police 

Report non-emergency crime online: [30]Report | Essex Police

How do we use your data: [31]Privacy notice | Essex Police

 

show quoted sections

Thank you for your request for information, which has been logged under
the above reference number.

 

Essex Police will endeavor to respond to your application within 20
working days, as set out within the Freedom of Information Act 2000
(FOIA). If a time extension is to be applied to your request, you will be
informed; the reason for the extension will also be provided.

 

Please note that Essex Police may refuse detailed or multiple requests
that are submitted at the same time, as per [1]Section 14 of the FOIA.
Furthermore, if the information sought is already publicly available, you
may be redirected to our publication scheme:
[2]https://www.essex.police.uk/foi-ai/af/ac... or other
official links, such as the [3]PFCC, [4]Home Office or the [5]Office
for National Statistics

 

Should you need to contact us whilst your information request is being
processed, please email [6][Essex Police request email], quoting
the above reference, and a member of the team will assist.

 

Kind regards,

 

Freedom of Information Team

Information Rights | Information Compliance & Assurance | Information
Management Dept. | Professionalism Command

Email: [7][Essex Police request email]

Telephone: 01245 452647 (Open office hours, Monday to Friday or
answerphone facility available)

Address: Information Rights Team, Information Management Dept., Essex
Police HQ, PO Box 2, Chelmsford CM2 6DA 

 

Essex Police have a publication strategy. Before submitting FOI
Information Requests, please visit this link, as information may already
be available: [8]Accessing information | Essex Police

Before submission of an FOI Information Request, please visit: [9]How to
access information from a public body | ICO

Services offered by Information Rights Team: [10]Information Rights |
Essex Police

Find out what is happening in your area: [11]Your area | Essex Police

Contact us: [12]Help us help you | Essex Police 

Report non-emergency crime online: [13]Report | Essex Police

How do we use your data: [14]Privacy notice | Essex Police

 

Your right to complain

If you feel your request has not been properly handled, or you are
otherwise dissatisfied with the outcome of your request you have the right
to complain.

Under [15]Section 17(7)(a)(b) FOIA complaints should be submitted within
40 working days from the date of this response and should be addressed to
the Information Rights Manager at the above address or by email to:
[16][Essex Police request email] we will conduct a review to
investigate your complaint and endeavour to reply within 40 working days.
Please explain which aspect of the disclosure you are not satisfied with,
and if your complaint concerns the decision to apply an exemption.

If you are still dissatisfied following our review, you have the right
under the [17]Section 50 FOIA to complain directly to the Information
Commissioner. Before considering your complaint, the Information
Commissioner would normally expect you to have exhausted the complaints
procedures provided by Essex Police.  The Information Commissioner can be
contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water
Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF or via [18]Home | ICO

 

show quoted sections

Thank you for your Freedom of information (FOI) request logged under the
above reference.  

 

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) places two duties on public
authorities:    

   

Unless exemptions apply, the first duty (at [1]Section 1(1)(a) is to
confirm or deny whether the information specified in a request is held.   

The second duty (at [2]Section 1(1)(b) is to disclose information that
has been confirmed as being held.    

However, where exemptions are relied upon ([3]Section 17 of FOIA), there
is a requirement to provide the applicant with an explanation either:  

a) stating the fact   

b) detailing the exemption(s) in question and  

c) why the exemption applies (if not apparent).  

   

Information Request 

 

Please would you be able to disclose the location of the speed cameras
where the highest speeds were recorded. E.g.:

Essex Policing Area
2018: 149 (Springfield Road, Chelmsford)
2019: 158 (Ipswich Road, Colchester)
2020: 147 (Thaxted Road, Saffron Walden)
2021: 157 (Etc)
2022: 158 (Etc)
2023: 175 (Etc)

Would you be able to do the same for Colchester, e.g.

Essex Policing Area
2018: 93 (Cowdray Avenue, Colchester)
2019: 111 (Mersea Road, Colchester)
2020: 89 (Etc)
2021: 99 (Etc)
2022: 101 (Etc)
2023: 96 (Etc)

 

FOI Duty  

First Duty – Essex Police does hold information relating to your
request.   

Second Duty – See below 

Fact – See below 

Exemption – Not applicable

 

Essex Police can report as follows: 

  

Caveat: The data is correct as at 04 June 2024

 

Highest Recorded Speeds in the Essex Force Area by Year and Location –
2018 to 2023

Year Speed (MPH) Location
2018 149 M25
2019 158 M25
2020 147 M25
2021 157 M25
2022 158 M25
2023 175 M25

 

Highest Recorded Speeds in the Colchester Policing District by Year and
Location – 2018 to 2023

Year Speed (MPH) Location
2018 93 Cowdray Avenue, Colchester
2019 105 A1232 Ipswich Road, Colchester
2020 89 Cowdray Avenue, Colchester
2021 99 A120 Coggeshall Road
2022 101 Cowdray Avenue, Colchester
2023 96 Cowdray Avenue, Colchester

 

Every effort is made to ensure that the data provided by Essex Police is
accurate and complete. However, Essex Police systems are designed
primarily for the management of individual cases and not for the purposes
of providing data to answer specific FOI enquiries. Please note although
data can be extracted from a number of sources via database queries, the
results may be subject to inaccuracies. Care should be taken to understand
our return when considering the interpretation or further use of the data.

 

The following articles available via our publication scheme may also be of
interest:

 

[4]Published Items - Speed Cameras | Essex Police

 

Please note the above request will be included within our [5]Publication
Scheme.  

  

Thank you for your interest in Essex Police. 

 

Freedom of Information 

Information Rights Team | Information Compliance & Assurance  

Information Management Dept. | Professionalism Command 

Essex Police 

Email: [6][Essex Police request email] 

Telephone: 01245 452647 (Open office hours, Monday to Friday or
answerphone facility available) 

Address: Information Rights Team, Information Management Dept., Essex
Police HQ, PO Box 2, Chelmsford CM2 6DA   

Services offered by Information Rights Team: [7]Information Rights | Essex
Police 

  

Find out what is happening in your area: [8]Your area | Essex Police  

Contact Us: [9]Help us help you | Essex Police   

Report non-emergency crime online: [10]Report | Essex Police 

How do we use your data: [11]Privacy notice | Essex Police 

 

FOI requests  

Before submission of an FOI Information request, please visit: [12]How to
access information from a public body | ICO and please review our
publications regarding various subjects through [13]Accessing information
| Essex Police to prevent unnecessary requests.  

  

Your right to complain  

  

If you feel your request has not been properly handled, or you are
otherwise dissatisfied with the outcome of your request you have the right
to complain.  

  

Under [14]Section 17(7)(a)(b) FOIA complaints should be submitted within
40 working days from the date of this response and should be addressed to
the Information Rights Manager at the above address or by email to:
[15][Essex Police request email] we will conduct a review to
investigate your complaint and endeavour to reply within 40 working days.
Please explain which aspect of the disclosure you are not satisfied with,
and if your complaint concerns the decision to apply an exemption. 

  

From: Info Rights Freedom Essex <[Essex Police request email]>
Sent: Monday, May 13, 2024 12:55 PM
To: Daniel Rees <[FOI #1113749 email]>
Subject: FOI 20221 Speed Camera Locations where the Highest Speeds were
Recorded 2018 to 2023

 

Thank you for your request for information, which has been logged under
the above reference number.

 

Essex Police will endeavor to respond to your application within 20
working days, as set out within the Freedom of Information Act 2000
(FOIA). If a time extension is to be applied to your request, you will be
informed; the reason for the extension will also be provided.

 

Please note that Essex Police may refuse detailed or multiple requests
that are submitted at the same time, as per [16]Section 14 of the FOIA.
Furthermore, if the information sought is already publicly available, you
may be redirected to our publication scheme:
[17]https://www.essex.police.uk/foi-ai/af/ac... or other
official links, such as the [18]PFCC, [19]Home Office or the [20]Office
for National Statistics

 

Should you need to contact us whilst your information request is being
processed, please email [21][Essex Police request email], quoting
the above reference, and a member of the team will assist.

 

Kind regards,

 

Freedom of Information Team

Information Rights | Information Compliance & Assurance | Information
Management Dept. | Professionalism Command

Email: [22][Essex Police request email]

Telephone: 01245 452647 (Open office hours, Monday to Friday or
answerphone facility available)

Address: Information Rights Team, Information Management Dept., Essex
Police HQ, PO Box 2, Chelmsford CM2 6DA 

 

Essex Police have a publication strategy. Before submitting FOI
Information Requests, please visit this link, as information may already
be available: [23]Accessing information | Essex Police

Before submission of an FOI Information Request, please visit: [24]How to
access information from a public body | ICO

Services offered by Information Rights Team: [25]Information Rights |
Essex Police

Find out what is happening in your area: [26]Your area | Essex Police

Contact us: [27]Help us help you | Essex Police 

Report non-emergency crime online: [28]Report | Essex Police

How do we use your data: [29]Privacy notice | Essex Police

 

Your right to complain

If you feel your request has not been properly handled, or you are
otherwise dissatisfied with the outcome of your request you have the right
to complain.

Under [30]Section 17(7)(a)(b) FOIA complaints should be submitted within
40 working days from the date of this response and should be addressed to
the Information Rights Manager at the above address or by email to:
[31][Essex Police request email] we will conduct a review to
investigate your complaint and endeavour to reply within 40 working days.
Please explain which aspect of the disclosure you are not satisfied with,
and if your complaint concerns the decision to apply an exemption.

If you are still dissatisfied following our review, you have the right
under the [32]Section 50 FOIA to complain directly to the Information
Commissioner. Before considering your complaint, the Information
Commissioner would normally expect you to have exhausted the complaints
procedures provided by Essex Police.  The Information Commissioner can be
contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water
Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF or via [33]Home | ICO

 

show quoted sections