The Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) request to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS):
“At, or about, the beginning of November 2024, the NPCC issued a communication to constabularies about weeding PNC LoS records.
The information I am seeking is:
1. Your contact with the NPCC about weeding, since 01/01/2024, to the date of the NPCC communication
2. A copy of the communication issued by the NPCC (at or about the beginning of 11/2024)
3. The subsequent exchanges between your constabulary and the NPCC about the communication; feedback, clarification etc.
4. The action your constabulary has taken regarding weeding, following the NPCC communication”
10/01/2025 the MPS refused the request by virtue of Section 12(1) of the Act – Cost of compliance exceeds the appropriate limit i.e. it would take more than 18 hours to locate & provide the information.
17/01/2025, this was challenged by way of Internal Review:
“I question whether reasonable searches should extend to the originator, the NPCC identified in the request. Possibly a question for the ICO?
Your response suggests you have not read mine (below) – I made a request of the NPCC … I am in the 20-working-day loop because they elect not to provide the information in the usual course of business.
It appeared eminently sensible, to me, for the MPS to contact the NPCC and ask ‘who do you send your all Chief Constable (commissioner) emails to @ the MPS.
Possibly whoever undertakes the IR will agree, if not, maybe the ICO will do so.
The cost exemption, for what appears to be straightforward enquiries seems onerous. Returning to me for clarification did not occur.
13/01/2025, below, I was very specific, explained this related to an ‘all chief constables’ circular. I understood you had made enquiries of the MPS PNC Specialist Enquiries, Frontline Policing Delivery Unit and Met Intelligence. It struck me as odd that the PNC Bureau (howsoever named) had not been approached. Have you approached your Commissioner, their subaltern (admin’) or vehicle ‘lead’?
The circular itself, which can be removed from the request, item 2’, is available to read here: 241107 All Chief Constables Circular re ‘Weeding’ – Car Crime U.K.
It strikes me as odd that anyone wishing to review such emails from the NPCC, anyone at the Met’ who may wish to research the issue, would be in a similar situation; unable to locate them!”
29/01/2025 further writing:
“To further assist with locating the information, I have learned the ‘all chief constables’ circulars issued by the NPCC are not sent by email but posted via the NPCC online platform, seemingly an intranet.
When addressing my IR please clearly set out to whom approaches were made for the information as I am surprised the MPS are seemingly unaware of this process.
Possibly, unsurprisingly, Chief Officers of the Metropolitan Police Service, have access to the online platform. They can therefore view the letter and respond to it, possibly simply acknowledging, by use of the platform.”
15/03/2025, the MPS responded:
As part of this review, I have carefully considered whether citing that it will exceed 18 hours to collate the information was the appropriate response to your request. I can confirm that in order to locate information relevant to your request, comprehensive searches were undertaken across a number of departments. These departments being made with the appropriate individuals in MPS PNC Specialist Enquiries, Frontline Policing Delivery Unit and Met Intelligence. These searches revealed it would exceed 18 hours to determine where this information would be held.
I have undertaken my own independent enquiries with the following departments:
PNC Specialist Enquiries Unit (PNC Bureau)
Records Management Bureau
Commissioners Office
Operational Support Services
Communications and Engagement
Roads and Transport Policing
As a result of these searches I have been unable to find an individual who is in receipt of the communication you have referred to. This has taken a considerable amount of time and to conduct further searches across all MPS Commands, units listed above, departments and/or teams within these areas would exceed 18 hours.
The Data Manager had conducted adequate searches across a number of departments. As part of this review, I had made my own independent enquires with the PNC Bureau as well as conducting new searches with further departments listed above. As such I have found that the searches undertaken are both thorough and proportionate to your request.
MPS ref: 01/FOI/25/042561/T