FOI Stalking (0707-2024/25)

Request
Q1.  Could you please state the number of victims reporting being followed, watched, filmed, having mail stolen, malicious reports made about them to third parties, and/or criminal damage to their property, i.e. fixated, obsessive, unwanted and repeated behaviours, i.e. stalking, by a neighbour in North Yorkshire since 1 August 2020 to 31 October 2024 in Harrogate since 1 August 2020 to 31 October 2024.

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 exempting disclosure of this information pursuant to Section 12(1) of the Act.

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 specific information requested, if held, is not in an easily retrievable format.

In order to retrieve all reports of victims being followed, watched, filmed, having mail stolen, malicious reports made about them to third parties, and/or criminal damage to their property, it would be necessary to manually read all crimes to see if any reports were made between 2020 and 2024, this process 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).  As such, if you wish to revise your request to outline specific crimes, for example, stalking and/or harassment we may be able to respond to this part of 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.