Research
The following table has been established using the Freedom of Information Act. We have sorted the data of those forces who have responded by the forces making the highest use of RIPA to access communications data between 2009-12.
Some forces have provided data in different ways, for example some forces have provided data broken down by financial year, others calendar year. Some forces have provided figures covering the three year period but no breakdown, while others have not provided the full data requested. Some forces did not respond to our request.
The significant variations in the level of use of communications data and the variations in the numbers of requests internally rejected starkly highlights a clear issue around training and education within forces about making best use of information available, where necessary and proportionate, and also raises questions about the consistency of oversight.
Single Point of Contacts being overruled
Following our oral evidence to the Joint Committee we asked for clarification from two forces who provided data and fell within the statutory appeal process for clarification.
Kent Police
1 April 2011 – 31 March 2012:
Total number of applications: 4,891
Those rejected internally:
By SpOC: 1,206
By Authorising Officer: 42
Essex police:
In 2011 Essex began using a new recording system in conjunction with Kent Police. Data before the financial year 2011/12 is not available. From that period:
Total applications: 5164
Rejected by SPoC: 1478
Reject by Authorising Officer: 71
Offences being investigated with communications data
Humberside Police was also able to give us a breakdown of the offence categories it has used communications data for:
2009/10 / 2010/11 / 2011/12Assault: / 51 / 43 / 96
Auto Crime / 10 / 8 / 20
Burglary: / 121 / 118 / 223
Criminal Damage / 7 / 15 / 25
Drugs: / 544 / 445 / 371
Missing Persons / 100 / 49 / 84
Murder: / 196 / 165 / 183
Organised Immigration Crime: / 28 / 56 / 43
Other Crime / 340 / 385 / 458
Other Non-Crime / 64 / 35 / 98
Rape: / 24 / 36 / 26
Robbery: / 99 / 98 / 195
Sex Offences / 227 / 198 / 201
Theft: / 125 / 90 / 239
Traffic Offences / 71 / 70 / 54
HMRC use of Communications Data
We also asked HMRC for details of their use of communications data:
Number of items of CD applied for / Number of permanent rejections2009 / 13,440 / 150
2010 / 12,640 / 151
2011 / 15,271 / 79
According to the FOI response, the 15,271 requests made in 2011 related to 5,000 applications and the response claims “these initiatives protected about £850m of revenue”.
Communications data requests and refusals by force
Comms Data Requested under RIPA / Requests rejected internally / Notes:2009-10 / 2010-11 / 2011-12 / Total / 2009-10 / 2010-11 / 2011-12 / Total
Merseyside Police / 13,227 / 16,787 / 18,837 / 48,851 / 298 / 206 / 153 / 657
Devon and Cornwall Constabulary / 8,506 / 11,150 / 12,044 / 31,700
Strathclyde Police / 8,490 / 8,364 / 8,848 / 25,702 / 198 / 178 / 185 / 561
South Yorkshire Police / 5,030 / 8,027 / 10,842 / 23,899 / 123 / 101 / 240 / 464
West Mercia Constabulary / 8,787 / 5,996 / 6,258 / 21,041
Leicestershire Constabulary / 6,410 / 5,184 / 6,641 / 18,235 / 108 / 80 / 46 / 234
Avon and Somerset Police / 3,986 / 5,510 / 8,049 / 17,545 / 8 / 9 / 7 / 24 / * Rejected by "designated person"
Police Service in Northern Ireland / 4,233 / 4,789 / 4,826 / 13,848 / 190 / 192 / 333 / 715
Northumbria Police / 3,503 / 2,825 / 4,319 / 10,647 / 52 / 93 / 68 / 213
Norfolk Constabulary / 3,393 / 3,244 / 3,695 / 10,332 / 0 / 1 / 4 / 5
Cumbria Constabulary / 2,644 / 3,099 / 4,083 / 9,826 / 110 / 14 / 18 / 142
Staffordshire Police / 3,278 / 2,947 / 2,752 / 8,977 / 1223
Lancashire Constabulary / 3,285 / 2,854 / 2,820 / 8,959 / 90 / 68 / 66 / 224
Lothian and Borders Police / 3,189 / 2,511 / 2,053 / 7,753 / Refusal data not recorded
Kent Police / 3,913 / 3,751 / n/a / 7,664 / 1571 / 1666 / n/a / 3237
Northamptonshire Police / 2,009 / 2,402 / 2,229 / 6,640 / 58 / 42 / 46 / 146
Derbyshire Constabulary / 2,822 / 1,683 / 1,695 / 6,200 / 151 / 89 / 164 / 404 / Annual data
Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary / 1,566 / 2,124 / 2,476 / 6,166 / 66 / 116 / 36 / 218
Humberside Police / 2,007 / 1,811 / 2,316 / 6,134 / 129 / 110 / 102 / 341
Cheshire Constabulary / 1,696 / 1,663 / 1,549 / 4,908 / TOTAL APPLICATIONS INC REJECTIONS
North Wales Police / 1,792 / 1,382 / 1,625 / 4,799 / Refusal data not provided
Bedfordshire Police / 1,372 / 1,501 / 1,541 / 4,414 / 103 / 103 / "In 2011, 1541 applications were processed, of which 103 were rejected internally."
Suffolk Constabulary / 1,154 / 1,493 / 1,626 / 4,273 / 30 / 53 / 35 / 118
Grampian Police / 1,241 / 1,327 / 1,386 / 3,954 / 78 / 71 / 73 / 222
Dyfed Powys Police / 1,336 / 1,259 / 1,310 / 3,905 / Refusal data not provided
Warwickshire Police / 919 / 907 / 1,016 / 2,842 / 24
Gloucestershire Constabulary / 901 / 701 / 791 / 2,393 / 65 / 82 / 41 / 188
Tayside Police / 670 / 710 / 736 / 2,116 / 11 / 10 / 32 / 53
Central Scotland Police / 76 / 759 / 901 / 1,736 / 34 / 29 / 29 / 92
Fife Constabulary / 587 / 598 / 531 / 1,716 / 24 / 8 / 10 / 42
Hampshire Constabulary / 552 / 516 / 515 / 1,583 / 8 / 12 / 20 / 40
British Transport Police / 1040 / 1,040 / 3 / 3 / Between 1/1/12 and 4/7/12
Cambridgeshire Constabulary / 445 / n/a / n/a / 445 / 36 / n/a / n/a / 36 / Refused by "designated decision maker"
Durham Constabulary / Refused - cost & time / Refused - cost & time
Metropolitan Police / Refused - cost & time / Refused - cost & time