FAQ Details
Unsolved Shootings - 509/11
Dated: 07 Jun 2011
Date of request: 13/07/2011
Date of response: 29/07/2011
Provision of information held by Northumbria Police made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the 'Act')
Thank you for your email dated 24 May 2011 in which you made a request for access to certain information which may be held by Northumbria Police.
As you may be aware the purpose of the Act is to allow a general right of access to information held by a Public Authority (including the Police), subject to certain limitations and exemptions.
You asked:
How many unsolved shootings have taken place within your force area from 2010 to 2011 where person\persons have been wounded or killed by 9mm handguns\Pistols.
In response:
We have now had the opportunity to fully consider your request and I provide a response for your attention.
Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) places two duties on public authorities. Unless exemptions apply, the first duty at S1(1)(a) is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in a request is held. The second duty at S1(1)(b) is to disclose information that has been confirmed as being held. Where exemptions are relied upon Section 17 of FOIA requires that we provide the applicant with a notice which: a) states that fact, b) specifies the exemption(s) in question, and c) state (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.
Northumbria Police neither confirms nor denies that it holds any of the information requested by virtue of S30(3) Investigations.
This should not be taken as an inference that the information you have requested, does or does not exist.
The Police Service will not disclose specific details about an investigation, unless that information has already been placed in the public domain, through channels such as the media or the court process.
The information we have supplied to you is likely to contain intellectual property rights of Northumbria Police. Your use of the information must be strictly in accordance with the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 (as amended) or such other applicable legislation. In particular, you must not re-use this information for any commercial purpose.
How to complain
If you are unhappy with our decision or do not consider that we have handled your request properly and we are unable to resolve this issue informally, you are entitled to make a formal complaint to us under our complaints procedure which can be found at: http://www.northumbria.police.uk/foi/disclosurelog/foicomprights.asp
If you are still unhappy after we have investigated your complaint and reported to you the outcome, you may complain directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office and request that they investigate to ascertain whether we have dealt with your request in accordance with the Act.
Yours sincerely
Michael Cleugh
Data Protection and Disclosure Advisor
Direct Dial: 01661 868347