FOI Authorised Detentions (0674-2024/25)

Request
I am seeking up-to-date information about the proportion of police detentions/interviews of suspects and voluntary interviews in which an appropriate adult was provided and for whom legal advice was requested and obtained as recorded by officers for both adults and juveniles. I would be grateful if you could provide the following data for your force area, for each year for the years ending 9 March 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024:

Q1. In relation to adults and juveniles, please could you indicate the total number of
(1) authorised detentions
(2) interviews under arrest and
(3) voluntary Interviews. 

Q2. Then for each whether
(a) A pre-interview Risk Assessment was conducted  
(b) An appropriate adult was required
(c) An appropriate adult was provided
(d) Legal advice was requested
(e) Legal advice was provided

Q3. In relation to juveniles, please could you indicate the total number of
(1) authorised detentions
(2) interviews under arrest and
(3) voluntary Interviews. 

Q4. Then for each whether
(a) A pre-interview Risk Assessment was conducted
(b) An appropriate adult was required
(c) An appropriate adult was provided
(d) Legal advice was requested
(e) Legal advice was provided

If this data is not held (or cannot be compiled within the cost limits) for the requested period, please provide any relevant data for the most recent possible period.

If this data is not held (or cannot be compiled within the cost limits) for any period, I would be grateful for any information by way of explanation (e.g. no records of voluntary interviews are held; the requirement for an appropriate adult is not systematically stored in custody information systems). 

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 data relating to financial years 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23 is published on the North Yorkshire Police website under the following link:

FOI 0517-2023/24- Police authorised detentions | North Yorkshire Police

I have therefore decided to exempt providing you with a response to this part of your request pursuant to Section 21 Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) on the basis that this information is reasonably accessible by other means.

Please see exemption explanation below.

In relation to 2023/24 financial year, please see below data.

Q1. Please see the table below which details the number of authorised detentions, interviews under arrest and voluntary interviews of both adults and juveniles recorded by North Yorkshire Police for the financial year 2023/24.

Please note this is a distinct count per custody/VA record and excludes duplicates where the offender has been bailed and re-booked in for example.

*Excluding VA’s where the detention reason is not ‘Detention Not Authorised’.

Q2. Please see the table below which details the number of pre-interview risk assessments, whether an appropriate adult was provided, whether legal advice was provided for the above recorded authorised detentions and interviews under arrest of both adults and juveniles recorded by North Yorkshire Police for the financial year 2023/24.

Please note this is a distinct count per custody record, not per interview type on the detention log, as for example some custody records may have more than one interview logged.

Q3. Please see the table below which details the number of authorised detentions, interviews under arrest and voluntary interviews of juveniles only recorded by North Yorkshire Police for the financial year 2023/24.

Please note this is a distinct count per custody/VA record.

*Excluding VA’s where the detention reason is not ‘Detention Not Authorised’.

Q4. Please see the table below which details the number of pre-interview risk assessments, whether an appropriate adult was provided, whether legal advice was provided for the above recorded authorised detentions and interviews under arrest of juveniles only recorded by North Yorkshire Police for the financial year 2023/24.

Please note this is a distinct count per custody record, not per interview type on the detention log, as for example some custody records may have more than one interview logged.  

Exemption Explanation

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.

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.