FOI Sex offenders classed as 'missing' (0760-2022/23)

Request

1. How many registered sex offenders are currently classed as 'missing' due to a lack of an up-to-date address?
2. How many registered sex offenders have notified police that they are living abroad?
3. As per question 2 – how many of these registered sex offenders have notified police that they are living in The Gambia?

 

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 some of the information you have requested is held by North Yorkshire Police.

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you.

1. 2
2. 53
3. North Yorkshire Police can netither confirm nor deny it hold any information regarding this part of your request, pursusant to S31(3) – Law Enforcement.

Section 31(3) is a prejudice-based qualified exemption and there is a requirement to articulate the harm as well as carrying out a public interest test.

Evidence of Harm

Any disclosure under FOI is a release to the public at large. Whilst not questioning the motives behind this specific request, confirming or denying that information is held would identify what policing activity has or has not taken place. Sharing of data with foreign countries as well as within the UK is paramount in locating/monitoring offenders, where this partnship approach is compromised then data will not be released in order to continue the flow of information and protect the public. 

Furthermore, offenders can use the information provided to see whether their whereabouts is known and if so use the information to avoid any further destinations being identified, which in turn would then place more people at risk.

Factors favouring Neither Confirming or Denying for Section 31 - Confirming or denying whether information is held would enable the public to have a better understanding of the effectiveness of the police and about police intelligence in monitoring known offenders.

Factors against Confirming or Denying for Section 31 - Confirming or denying that any information is held would highlight any policing activity with regard to monitoring and sharing of data relating to known RSO offenders. In releasing such data, those trying to avoid detection will be able to understand the knowledge that the police have and use that to their advantage. 

Safeguarding the public and children is paramount to the service we provide and it can be argued that there are risks associated with providing information, if held, in relation to any aspect of police activity or of any foreign data sharing arrangements, so confirming or denying that information is held, may reveal the relative vulnerability of what we may be trying to protect.

Decision

Safeguarding the public, and those in other countries, is of paramount importance and North Yorkshire Police will not divulge whether any information is or is not held if to do so would place the safety of  individuals at risk, or undermine cross boarder relations and law enforcement.

Whilst there is a public interest in the transparency of policing operations and providing assurance that the North Yorkshire Police is appropriately engaging with other Countries to establish the addresses of RSO’s, there is also a very strong public interest in safeguarding the integrity of police operations and flow of information to ensure that current data is gathered.

Given the reasons above, it is therefore our opinion that confirming or denying whether any information regarding Q3, is applied.    However, this should not be taken as necessarily indicating that any information exists or does not exist.

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.