442722

I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 13th November 2025.  Please find below the response to your request:

This request concerns outstanding arrest warrants issued due to failure to appear in court, breach of bail, pre-trial absconding, or post-conviction absconding.To minimise cost/time burden and avoid broad searches, all questions request existing, routinely held datasets or policy documents only.Please provide the following:A. Current Outstanding Warrants (as of your latest available month)The total number of individuals with outstanding arrest warrants.A breakdown of these warrants by:

a. Offence category (e.g., murder, rape/sexual assault, child sexual offences, GBH, fraud, domestic abuse, drugs offences) b. Warrant type (failure to appear / breach of bail / pre-trial / post-conviction) c. Year of issue (e.g., pre-2000, 2000-2009, 2010-2019, 2020-present)The year of the oldest currently outstanding warrant and the offence category associated with it (no personal identifiers required).B. Trends (Existing, Recorded Data Only)For each of the past five calendar years (2019-2023), please provide:

a. Number of warrants issued

b. Number of warrants executed(If exact annual figures are not held, please supply the closest equivalent routinely held statistic.)C. Policies, Risk Assessments & ProceduresDoes your force have a formal policy or SOP for reviewing, prioritising or executing outstanding warrants?

If yes, please provide the document or the relevant excerpt.What risk assessment criteria are used to determine warrant priority? (e.g., offence severity, threat to life, repeat offending, safeguarding concerns)Does your force maintain a dedicated team/unit for locating individuals with outstanding warrants?

If yes, please state its name and staffing level (if recorded).D. Use of Databases and Inter-Agency CooperationAre all outstanding warrants routinely entered onto the Police National Computer (PNC)?Does your force use external databases (e.g., NHS, DVLA, credit reference agencies, Passport Office, benefits databases) for warrant tracing where legally permitted?Please summarise any policies or agreements concerning information-sharing with other UK forces, NCA, or Interpol, where relevant.E. Victim Communication and SafeguardingDoes your force have a policy for notifying victims when a suspect or convicted offender subject to a warrant remains unlocated?How many individuals with outstanding warrants (current total) are convicted but not yet sentenced?

 

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 Offence category is not available in a readily retrievable format.  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 and can provide some of the 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.

A. Current Outstanding Warrants (as of your latest available month) The total number of individuals with outstanding arrest warrants. 

Warrant type (failure to appear / breach of bail / pre-trial / post-conviction)

Number of warrants issued

Number of warrants executed 

 

The year of the oldest currently outstanding warrant and the offence category associated with it (no personal identifiers required). Year 2002 -Rape 

Policies, Risk Assessments & Procedures Does your force have a formal policy or SOP for reviewing, prioritising or executing outstanding warrants?

The force uses NPCC Fail to Appear Criminal Warrants Protocol and NPCC matrix

Are all outstanding warrants routinely entered onto the Police National Computer (PNC)? YES 

Does your force use external databases (e.g., NHS, DVLA, credit reference agencies, Passport Office, benefits databases) for warrant tracing where legally permitted?  YES

Does your force have a policy for notifying victims when a suspect or convicted offender subject to a warrant remains unlocated?’

 

The Witness Care Team work within the legislative requirements of the Victims Code of Practise (VCoP) which states that as a minimum victims have the right to be advised of any change of event within their case.  As such, Witness Care Officers will inform victims when a warrant is issued and when a warrant is executed, however, they will tend not to provide updates whilst they remain wanted on warrant, they will be advised that we will be in touch once it is executed, they can at any time contact us though during that time.  Occasionally we have the situation where a warrant is being considered for withdrawal, as part of that consideration the victim will be contacted to obtain their views.