FOI 389568
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 389568
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 13th February 2025. Please find below the response to your request:
I am for the following information:
- How many individual cycle/dashcam video footages showing close passes of cyclists by a motorist were submitted to your force in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 as part of Operation Snap?
- How many of these submissions resulted in follow-up prosecution of the vehicle keeper or driver in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024? (under Driving without due care and attention).
- Only if possible: How many of these prosecutions resulted with the driver being offered a course as opposed to a fine and endorsement only in each of these years?
Note – if the last question takes the length of time/resource above the threshold where a fee is liable, please only answer the first two questions.
Reply
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 is not available in a readily retrievable format for Q2 and 3. Records are not recorded as ‘close pass’, but close pass offences are included within due care, all due care offences would need to checked individually. In order to ascertain whether the information you have requested is held would take in excess of 18 hours.
In accordance with s.17(5) of the Act, this acts as a Refusal Notice.
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 information requested for question 1 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
- How many individual cycle/dashcam video footages showing close passes of cyclists by a motorist were submitted to your force in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 as part of Operation Snap?
2021 – 3121 total Op Snap submissions, 506 were noted as close passes
2022 – 3497 total Op Snap submissions, 1197 were noted as close passes
2023 – 4401 total Op Snap submissions, 1631 were noted as close passes
- – 5811 total Op Snap submissions, 1777 were noted as close passes
These also include submissions made by horse riders for close passes.
You may also want to refine your request, West Mercia could potentially supply the number of all courses offered to those who have committed a due care offence however this would include all due care matters resulting from Op Snap not just those relating to close passes. This is subject to exemptions.