FOI 0691-2024/25- Officers on the barred list

Request:

Q1. How many officers from North Yorkshire Police have been removed from their jobs and placed on the Police Barred List from the College of Policing since March 2021.

Q2. Of these, how many were removed from the force for sexual offences or misconduct, discriminatory behaviour and dishonesty.

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

The information you have requested is exempt from disclosure pursuant to Sections 14 and 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act). Please see the exemption explanation below.

The information you have requested is published online under the following link:

Barred list | College of Policing

I have therefore decided to exempt providing you with a response to question 1 and 2 pursuant to Section 21 Freedom of Information Act 2000 (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 21 – Information Reasonably Accessible by Other Means

Section 21 is an absolute class based exemption and I am not required to consider the harm or public interest when applying this exemption.

Section 14 – Vexatious

Rationale for decision

It is acknowledged that whilst the information already published does not presented exactly how you have requested, Section 14 of the Act applies on the basis that a level of duplication would be required to re-run stats when there is already published data (Section 21 as above).

The ICO guidance on dealing with vexatious requests clarifies that Section 14 can be considered

where the request is likely to cause a disproportionate or unjustified level or disruption, irritation or distress.

Section 1(1) does not oblige a public authority to comply with a request for information if the request is vexatious, and no public interest test is required.

Taking into account the above, it is for these reasons that Section 14(1) has also been applied in this case.

Pursuant to Section 17(1) of the Act this letter acts as a Refusal Notice in response 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.