FOI Knife Crime (0660-2024/25)

Request
I would like to request the following data relating to crime involving knives, bladed articles and offensive weapons, specifically in education facilities: schools and colleges (primary, secondary, college, public & private), within your jurisdiction boundaries, for the period from calendar year September 2021 to September 2024 (or most recent available data for 2024). I’m only looking for data relating to schools and colleges/higher education, not universities.

Please provide data on the following categories for each year in the specified time period:

Q1.  Possession of bladed articles/knives/offensive weapons on school premises:

- The number of recorded incidents where individuals were found in possession of bladed articles, knives or other offensive weapons on school premises.

- If possible, please provide a breakdown by age group or school type (e.g., primary, secondary, college).

Q2.  Threats involving bladed articles/knives/offensive weapons

- The number of recorded incidents involving threats made with bladed articles, knives or other offensive weapons on school premises.

- A breakdown by age group or school type if available.

Q3.  Attacks, incidents or injuries involving bladed articles/knives/offensive weapons

- The number of recorded attacks or incidents involving bladed articles, knives or other offensive weapons on school premises.

- Any data on injuries caused during these incidents (e.g., minor injuries, serious injuries).

- A breakdown by age group or school type if available.

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 not only to undertake a manual search of each record to determine the number of ‘threats’ made but a manual search of over 250 records categorised as ‘Weapon unknown’, to determine the type of weapon and those in which the weapon was ‘used’ to preclude instances where the weapon was not used but associated in some other way, 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). If you are able to refine your request or resubmit, omitting Questions 2 and 3, I may be able to reconsider your request.  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.