FOI 1262-2024/25- Osman warnings

Request:

Q1. For each year (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 so far), how many Osman/ threat to life notices has the force issued? B. If possible, how many of these were to those who were Chinese/ Hong Kongers?

Q2. Does the force have a means by which it records incidents/reports of transnational repression in your case log? B. If so, for each year (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 so far) how many incidents/ reports were logged and C. In each year how many involved a victim who was Chinese/Hong Konger?

Q3. For each year (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 so far), how many incidents were recorded of A. harassment, B. stalking, C. online abuse D. Threat, E. Assault, F. foreign interference, where the victim was Chinese or Hong Konger?

Q4. How many officers in the force are fluent Cantonese/ Mandarin speakers?

Q5.Please provide copies of any internal policies of guidance you have on transnational repression.

Response:

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. Zero

Q2. Zero

Q3. Please see the table below showing the number of victims with citizenship descriptions as either Chinese or Hong Kong for the requested crimes for the period between 01 January 2020 to 08 April 2025, broken down by crime type, calendar year and citizenship. I have disassociated the tables pursuant to section 40(2) – Personal Information. This is to refrain from particular incidents becoming identifiable and consequently the personal details of any persons involved being disclosed.Please see the exemption explanation below.

Q4. No information held

Q5. No information held

Exemption Explanation

Section 40 – Personal Information

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 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(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.