FOI 417677

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 417677

I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 25^th June 2025. Please find below the response to your request:

1. The number of phone thefts recorded by West Mercia Police in Worcestershire from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023, broken down by town/city.
2. The number of phone thefts recorded by West Mercia Police in Worcestershire from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, broken down by town/city.
3. The number of phone thefts recorded by West Mercia Police in Worcestershire from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, broken down by town/city.

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. There is no specific offence title for Theft of Mobile Phone. There are over 738 records of Robbery, Burglary and Theft. 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.

However, In accordance with Section 16 of the Act I have a duty to provide advice and assistance in relation to your request. You may wish to refine and resubmit your request to receive part of the information. For example we may be able to supply the information you have requested for a shorter time period or by limiting the location, subject to any exemptions being engaged