FOI Knife Crime (0448-2024/25)

Request
In each of the following calendar years 2015,2016,2017,2018,2019,2020,2021,2022,2023,2024

 Q1. Please state how many offences were reported involving:

1. Zombie-style knives;
2. Zombie knives;
3. Machetes
   

Q2. Of those offences, please state how many involved youths (under 18) and the following breakdowns:

1. The suspect;
2. The victim;

Q3. Of those offences, please state what the ethnicity was for those under 18 with the following breakdowns:

1. The suspect;
2. The victim;
3. Ethnic groups are: Black, Asian, Mixed and White

Q4. Of those offences, please state what the ethnicity was for those over 18 with the following breakdowns:

1. The suspect;
2. The victim;
3. Ethnic groups are: Black, Asian, Mixed and White

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 located information to you.

Q1.  Please see table below showing the number of crimes reported involving zombie style knives or machetes (as noted within the MO remarks) broken down by calendar year.

Q2.  Please see table below detailing the number of crimes reported involving offenders and victims under the age of 18 broken down by calendar year.

Q3.  Please see table below detailing the ethnicity of the offenders and victims under the age of 18 in the timeframe specified.

I am exempting providing you with the years that the crimes took place pursuant to Section 40(2) Freedom of Information Act (the Act).  Please see below for exemption explanation. 

Please note that we have provided the data according to the ethnicities recorded in our systems.

Due low numbers I am representing figures equal to or less than 5 as ‘<5’ to prevent identification of individuals in accordance with s40(2) of the Act.

Q4.  Please see table below detailing the ethnicity of the offenders and victims aged 18 and over in the timeframe specified.

Due low numbers I am representing figures equal to or less than 5 as ‘<5’ to prevent identification of individuals in accordance with s40(2) 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
For Questions 3 and 4, I am representing the figures equal to or less than 5 as ‘<5’.  This is 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.

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.