FOI Child Trafficking Problem Profile (563-2024/25)

Request

A copy of the Police Force's Serious Sexual Offences Problem Profile as well as child trafficking problem profile.

Response

Extent and Result of Searches to Locate Information

To locate the information relevant to your request searches were conducted within North Yorkshire Police. 

Decision

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 14 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) I have decided to refuse your request, as it has been deemed ‘vexatious’. Section 1(1) does not oblige a public authority to comply with a request for information if the request is vexatious, and no public interest test is required.

The ICO guidance on dealing with vexatious requests clarifies that section 14 can be considered

where the request is likely to cause a disproportionate or unjustified level or disruption, irritation or

distress.

Rationale for decision

The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act allows individuals to seek access to official information in order to gain transparency and accountability from public bodies. The expectation is that individuals will use this right responsibly and proportionately.

The ICO guidance sets out a number of indicators which have been reviewed and it has been determined that your request meets the following vexatious indicator:

This request would impose a significant burden on the force.

Unfortunately, it is judged that the work required to assess the volume of material covered by your request would impose a disproportionate burden on the force. By the nature of your request all these records would therefore fall within the scope of the information you seek. As such, a full review of all this information would be required to assess for disclosure. 

The documents you are requesting contain organisationally sensitive information, including covert processing activity and law enforcement tactics, where these are stored, how they are handled, and when/where/how frequently they are deployed, and therefore we do not believe it would be appropriate to provide an extract in full without making the appropriate redactions.

Furthermore, the problem profiles would require such a large amount of redactions that would make them incoherent once the personal and organisational information had been removed.

Taking into account all the arguments above, it is for these reasons that section 14(1) has been applied in this case.

Pursuant to Section 17(5) of the Freedom of Information Act this letter acts as a Refusal Notice.