FOI Armoury Inventory (333-2024/25)

Request

Q1. Please provide a list of all types of firearms held in your inventory for use by authorized firearms officers, for each type, specify make, model and caliber.

Q2. Additionally, where possible, any proposed dates that a review is to be made concerning the continued use of each weapon.

Response

Extent and Result of Searches to Locate Information and decision

To locate the information relevant to your request searches were conducted within North Yorkshire Police. I have decided to exempt the requested information pursuant to section 24(1) National Security and 31(a) Law Enforcement of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Please see exemption explanation below.

Exemption Explanation

Section 24 and 31 are qualified, prejudice-based exemption, which requires that I conduct a public interest test and evidence the harm in releasing such information.

Evidence of Harm

Disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act is a release to the public at large. To release the requested information would provide those persons intent on committing crime the capacity, tactical abilities and capabilities of the force. This would compromise law enforcement and would be to the detriment of providing an efficient policing service and a failure in providing a duty of care to all members of the public. Modern-day policing is intelligence led and this is particularly pertinent with regard to law enforcement. The public expect police forces to use all powers and tactics available to them to prevent and detect crime or disorder and maintain public safety. The prevention and detection of crime is the foundation upon which policing is built and the threat from terrorism cannot be ignored. It is generally recognised that the international security landscape is increasingly complex and unpredictable

The security of the country is of paramount importance and North Yorkshire Police will not disclose information if to do so, would undermine national security. Whilst there is a public interest in the transparency of policing operations and providing assurance that the Police Service is appropriately and effectively engaging with the threat posed by offenders involved in county lines activity and terrorism offences, there is a very strong public interest in safeguarding both national security and the integrity of the Police service in the highly sensitive areas of which they work.

Disclosure of information relevant to the request would highlight to criminals the resources signposted to certain teams at one particular time which would enable those engaged in criminal activity to identify the focus of policing targets and identify any potential vulnerable parts of the UK.

Public Interest Test

Section 24 – Reasons for Disclosure

Section 24 National Security - Factors Favouring Disclosure Disclosure of information relevant to the request would lead to a better-informed public. The public are entitled to know how public funds are spent especially with regards resources for safeguarding National Security.

Section 24 – Reasons against Disclosure

Other organisations outside the Police Service may, or may not, have an active interest in the subject of the question above. Disclosing the types of weapons utilised by North Yorkshire Police would compromise the capabilities and effectiveness of the Force, and as such, disclosure would be damaging to National Security.

To what extent the disclosure of this information may aid a terrorist is unknown, but it is clear that it will have an impact on a force’s ability to monitor terrorist activity. The impact of providing information under FOI which aids terrorist offending would provide those intending on committing criminal or terrorist acts with valuable information as to where the police are targeting their investigations, thereby undermining National Security, and leaving the United Kingdom at risk of terrorist attacks.

Section 31 – Reasons for Disclosure

Disclosure of the information would improve the public’s knowledge and understanding of the effectiveness of the police and the manpower to deal with crime. Where public funds are being spent, there is a public interest in accountability and justifying the use of public money and enable the public to see what manpower is deployed by North Yorkshire Police.

Sectio 31 - Reasons against Disclosure

North Yorkshire Police has a duty of care to the community at large and public safety is of paramount importance. Disclosure would undermine the effective delivery of operational law enforcement. It has been recorded that FOIA releases are monitored by criminals and terrorists and so to release the information would lead to law enforcement being undermined. To release the information would prejudice the abilities of North Yorkshire Police.

Balancing Test

The security of the country is of paramount importance and North Yorkshire Police will not divulge information if to do so would place the safety of an individual at risk, undermine or compromise law enforcement. As much as there is public interest in knowing that policing activity is appropriate and balanced, this will only be overridden in exceptional circumstances.

Having considered the public interest factors I am required to determine whether on balance the factors favouring disclosure outweigh those which are against disclosure. It is my view that the factors favouring disclosure do not outweigh those which favour non-disclosure of the requested information. I would therefore inform you that North Yorkshire Police declines to release the information.

Pursuant to Section 17(4) of the Act this letter acts as a Refusal Notice in response to 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.