FOI 1212-2024/25- Shoplifting offences
Request:
I am writing to make a freedom of information request for data held in relation to shoplifting offences recorded between January 2015 and the end of December 2024.
Based on keyword searches, please provide me with offence and outcome data held for all shoplifting crimes involving the following items:
A) Menstrual products (a non-exhaustive list of relevant keywords would also include: feminine hygiene products, tampons, sanitary pads, Tampax, period products, Always pads, mooncup, panty liners)
B) Baby food or formula (a non-exhaustive list of relevant keywords would also include: baby milk, formula milk, baby milk powder, toddler milk, infant formula)
I would like the data to include a breakdown of the offences by:
-The calendar year the crime was recorded
- Either the month or the calendar quarter the crime was recorded
- The offence code
- The name of the offence
- Details recorded about the item(s) stolen
- The outcome recorded, as per Home Office outcome types category (eg outcome 1 - charge/summons, outcome 2 - caution, etc)
- The sex of the suspect
- The officer defined ethnicity of the suspect, where available
- The self reported ethnicity of the suspect, where available
- The age of the suspect if possible, or the age group if not (eg under 10, 10-17, 18-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61-70,71+)
Question 2
As per the flagging process outlined in the Home Office Annual Data Requirement, please provide me with data held on offence and outcome data held for all shoplifting crimes where it has been flagged that the offence, suspect or victim was linked to modern slavery.
I would like the data to include a breakdown of the offences by:
- The calendar year the crime was recorded
- Either the month or the calendar quarter the crime was recorded
- The offence code
- The name of the offence
- Details recorded about the item(s) stolen
- Any details recorded about the circumstances of the slavery flag
- The outcome recorded, as per Home Office outcome types category (eg outcome 1 - charge/summons, outcome 2 - caution, etc)
- The sex of the suspect
- The officer defined ethnicity of the suspect, where available
- The self reported ethnicity of the suspect, where available
- The age of the suspect if possible, or the age group if not (eg under 10, 10-17, 18-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61-70,71+)REQUEST
Response:
Extent of Searches to Locate Information
Following receipt of your request searches were conducted within North Yorkshire Police to locate relevant information.
Decision
I am not obliged to provide you with a response to your request pursuant to Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act). Please note that when one part of your request falls under Section 12, we are not obliged to review the rest of the questions and the whole request is therefore exempt.
Section 12(1) applies to your request as the cost of complying with your request is above the amount to which we are legally required to respond i.e. the cost of identifying and retrieving any relevant information exceeds the ‘appropriate level’ as stated in the Freedom of Information (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004.
Due to the nature of our recording systems the information requested, if held, is not in an easily retrievable format. Our information retrieval process generally relies on a computer ran report which captures any information recorded upon the surface of a record or within specified fields. Where relevant information is held deeper in the record, or outside of a specified field, a manual assessment is required to retrieve that information.
In order to retrieve the requested information, it would be necessary to review all shoplifting crimes for the timeframe requested to establish whether it had been flagged that the offence, suspect or victim was linked to modern slavery, this would mean reading over 40,000 records, which would exceed the time limit allowed under the Act.
Pursuant to Section 17(5) of the Freedom of Information Act this letter acts as a Refusal Notice.
Pursuant to Section 16 of the Act I am required to offer you advice and assistance with regarding to refining your request to within the ‘appropriate limit’ (time/cost limit). However, we may be able to provide some information for part 1 of your request if you resubmit and omit part 2. If you wish to discuss this please do not hesitate to contact me.
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.