FOI 1202-2024/25 Stalking

Request
Q1.a) The total amount of reported stalking crimes under the codes HOCR codes of 008/65 and 008/66 for each year from 2017 to 2024 split by:

- stalking type - e.g cyber stalking/ online methods and all stalking

- age of suspect

- gender of suspect 

Q1.b) The type of the victims reporting stalking crimes under the codes HOCR codes of 008/65 and 008/66 for each year from 2017 to 2024 split by:

- stalking type - e.g cyber stalking/ online methods and all stalking

- age of victim

- gender of victim

Extent and Result of Searches to Locate Information
To locate the information relevant to your request searches were conducted within North Yorkshire Police.

I can confirm that the information you have requested is held by North Yorkshire Police. 

Decision
I have today decided to disclose the following information to you.

Q1. Please see the table below showing the number of crimes of 08/65 Stalking involving fear of violence and 08/66 Stalking involving serious alarm/distress in the period 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2024, broken down by calendar year and whether a cyber qualifier has been recorded. Please note however that the accuracy of these results relies on an officer populating this field.

Please see below table showing the gender of the offender (where recorded). I have excluded an annual breakdown of the below data pursuant to Section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) to protect the anonymity of individuals. Please see the below exemption explanation.

Please see the below table showing the age range of the offender (where recorded), based on the Home Office standard age groups. As above, I have excluded an annual breakdown of the below data pursuant to Section 40 of the Act.

Please see the table below showing the gender of the victim (where recorded). Please note that this figure exceeds the total figure provided at Q1 as some crimes may involve more than one victim. As above, I have excluded an annual breakdown of the below data pursuant to Section 40 of the Act.

Please see the below table showing the age range of the victim (where recorded), based on the Home Office standard age groups. As above, I have excluded an annual breakdown of the below data pursuant to Section 40 of the Act.

Exemption Explanation

Section 17 of the Act requires North Yorkshire Police, when refusing to provide such information (because the information is exempt) to provide you the applicant with a notice which: (a) states that fact, (b) specifies the exemption in question and (c) states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.

Section 40 – Personal Information
I have exempted an annual breakdown of the age and gender data, to protect the anonymity of individuals. I have also disassociated the tables to refrain from particular incidents becoming identifiable and consequently the personal details of any persons involved being disclosed.

Where an individual can be identified by such data, releasing it would clearly breach the first data protection principle of being ‘fair’ to the data subject.

Section 40(2) is an absolute class based exemption, which does not require a public interest test, but requires the balancing of the legitimate interests of the public against the interests of the individual under the first Data Protection Principle; in that processing of personal data must be lawful and fair (DPA 2018 35(1), EUGDPR Article 5(1)).

This exemption applies because the right given under the FOI Act to request official information held by public authorities does not apply to the personal data of third parties where disclosure of that information would not be fair to the individual, and where there is no legitimate public interest in disclosure.

In all the circumstances of the case it has been determined that the duty to the individual under the Data Protection Act 2018 & EU General Data Protection Regulations, and the public interest in maintaining the exemption from disclosure of personal information held by the force in such instances, outweighs the public interest in disclosure.  In this instance, personal information can only be disclosed to the individual concerned. 

Releasing personal details to a person other than the data subject would not only breach the data subject’s Data Protection rights it may also breach the obligations placed on an authority under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Pursuant to Section 17(1) of the Act this letter acts as a refusal notice under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in relation to your request.

Please note that systems used for recording information are not generic, nor are the procedures used locally in capturing the data.  It should be noted therefore that this force’s response to your questions should not be used for comparison purposes with any other responses you may receive.