FAQ Details
Customer Satisfaction Surveys - 189/11
Dated: 07 Jun 2011
Date of request: 12/03/2011
Date of response: 25/03/2011
Provision of information held by Northumbria Police made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the 'Act')
Thank you for your email dated 12 March 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:
I was recently made aware that Surrey & Sussex Police use independent market research companies to carry out customer satisfaction surveys on individuals who have dialled 999. As an example, Surrey Police use a company called BMG in Birmingham. If you use companies in this manner in order to carry out surveys on members of the public, please find my questions below. If you do not, please accept my apologies for wasting your time. Please note I would like my response sent to me by e-mail.
How many organisations does your police force currently use for conducting customer satisfaction surveys
When your police force passes on personal information to third party organisations for the purpose of conducting satisfaction surveys, is it only individuals who have dialled 999 that are eligible for customer satisfaction surveys or do other individuals who have contacted your police force in another manner also risk having their personal details passed to third party organisations?
How long has your police force used the services of third party market research/survey companies to carry out customer satisfaction surveys?
Do the organisation/s that your police force use for customer satisfaction surveys charge your police force, and if so, how much? Please also quote the charging methods, i.e.; per hour or per day?
If applicable, approximately how much did your police force spend in 2010 on using third party organizations to carry out customer satisfaction surveys on behalf of your police force?
How does your police force make the public aware that when they have dialled 999 and asked for police assistance, they risk having their personal data passed on to third party organizations in order to carry out customer satisfaction surveys on behalf of your police force?
When a member of the public’s personal details are passed to these organizations by your police force, how are they delivered to the third party organization/s that are required to carry out the customer satisfaction surveys? Are they delivered electronically or through the post/courier service?
How are the organisation/s that are selected by your police force to conduct customer satisfaction surveys vetted?
What process takes place when an organisation/s is selected by your police force to conduct customer satisfaction surveys and is your police force tied into a set term contract with the third party organization?
Approximately, how many members of the public have had their details passed to third party organisations for the purpose of customer satisfaction surveys in the last month by your police force?
With reference to information that is passed on to third party organizations by your police force for the purpose of conducting customer satisfaction surveys, do any of the organisations used by your police force use contact offices outside of the UK in order to contact the individual who has had their details passed on to the third party organisation by your police force, i.e. do members of the public have their details passed to a country outside of the UK?
In response:
We have now had the opportunity to fully consider your request and I provide a response for your attention.
Following receipt of your request, searches were conducted with the Corporate Communications Department of Northumbria Police.
I can confirm that no information is held regarding your request. Northumbria Police do not use market research companies as outlined above.
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