FOI 338190

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 338190

I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 31^st May 2024. Please find below the response to your request:

I would like to request the following information:

The number of shoplifting offences logged by the force between 01/01/2023 and 31/12/2023 The value of stock or money that was reported stolen in each shoplifting offence reported between 01/01/2023 and 31/12/2023 The neighbourhood or postcode of each business involved in a shoplifting offence logged by the force between 01/01/2023 and 31/12/2023 The month in which each shoplifting offence logged by the force between 01/01/2023 and 31/12/2023 occurred.

Reply

West Mercia Police hold some of the information you have requested.

Your request for information has been considered in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“the Act”), and I am not obliged to provide the information requested.

S.12(1) of the Act states that a public authority is not obliged to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying with the request would exceed the “appropriate limit”. For police forces in England and Wales, the "appropriate limit" is £450 or 18 hours of work as set by the Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004.

The information you have requested regarding the value of stolen items is not available in a readily retrievable format. There are over 9867 records. In order to ascertain whether the information you have requested is held would take in excess of 18 hours as each record would have to be checked individually.

In accordance with s.17(5) of the Act, this acts as a Refusal Notice.

Under s.16 of the Act I have a duty to provide advice and assistance in relation to your request.

However, In accordance with Section 16 of the Act I have a duty to provide advice and assistance in relation to your request and can provide the some information requested as this was retrieved during our initial research. This should not be taken as a precedent that additional information would be supplied outside of the time/fees legislation for any subsequent requests

The number of shoplifting offences logged by the force between 01/01/2023 and 31/12/2023

The area of each business involved in a shoplifting offence logged by the force between 01/01/2023 and 31/12/2023