Staffordshire Police (SP) appear to have staffing issues preventing them attending to disclosure requests generally. This was conveyed to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) over a year ago, in 11/2023 (read more here).
It appears, some 10 months later (09/2024) these ‘unforeseen’ staffing issues remain.
However, this aside, SP will only assist those who insure with ABI members, those party to a Memorandum of Understanding’ (ABI/NPCC). The MoU can be read here and includes the statement:
- 2.2.2 To offer support to victims of crime within our communities by expediting the finalisation of their insurance claim.
It is apparent the police recognise the importance of a crime report. Furthermore, they appear to understand this may well be necessary to finalise an insurance claim. Why then:
- is support only provided to some?
- are others intentionally caused delays
19/04/2024 from SF in response to a request for a crime report:
From: ABI Insurance ABI.insurance@staffordshire.police.uk
Sent: 19 April 2023 10:31
Dear Sir/Madam
I write in reference to your recent correspondence dated 21/03//2023, regarding a request for police data.
The application you have submitted falls under the national Memorandum of Understanding between the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the members of the ABI (Association of British Motor Insurers).
Your company is neither an ABI Member, or a Registered Solicitor who would rely upon the specific exemptions of the General Data Protection Principals around provision of data for legal proceedings, including prospective legal proceedings and are derived from the UK GDPR.
Unfortunately, due to these circumstances we’re unable to provide the information you are seeking to obtain. Please forward your bank details so we can refund payment already paid.
Yours Sincerely
Central Disclosure Unit, Staffordshire Police HQ, PO Box 3167, Stafford ST16 9JZ
Further text from SP:
The Central Disclosure Unit took responsibility for dealing with RTC related requests for information in February this year, yours was one of the first we would have received. We have since reviewed the whole process, and in particular the lawful basis in which we share information with third parties.
It was established that we can share information with a registered Solicitor who would rely upon the specific exemptions of the General Data Protection Principals around provision of data for legal proceedings, including prospective legal proceedings and are derived from the UK GDPR, or Insurance companies who are members of the Association of British Motor* Insurers (ABI), of which there is a National Agreement between the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and ABI.
If you are representing an ABI member we can continue to take query’s and other correspondences from you and progress your request as normal, but the end product goes to the ABI member and we would require a contact and associated email address to forward that product to.
If not, then we will need to provide you with a refund and would need the below details completing so that this can be processed.
I do hope you understand our rationale and apologies for any inconvenience caused.
*’motor’ is not specified in the MoU, it is the ABI, not ABMI.
31/01/2024 from SP – ABI member or not … staffing issues, unseen yet arising 6 months earlier, mean no one receives a report …
Thank you for your email, unfortunately at the present time (effective from 10/07/2023), due to unforeseen staffing issues beyond our control, Staffordshire Police are not in a position to process any new Civil Proceedings or ABI MoU Insurance requests, this includes all requests for RTC or associated crime related information.
This will apply for the foreseeable future; the force is currently undertaking an internal review of our service provision in this regard.
We apologise for the reduced level of service during this time.
Emails sent to the ABI email account will not be responded to unless they relate to an existing research request, where payment has been received prior to 10/7/2023.
Please do not contact the control room, Police Officer or any other department as they will be unable to assist.
If you have any queries regarding this matter, please contact Staffordshire Police Data Protection Officer at the below email address.
SPDPO@staffordshire.police.uk
03/06/2024 and update from SP:
From: ABI Insurance ABI.insurance@staffordshire.police.uk
Sent: 03 June 2024 14:11
Subject: Automatic reply: Collision report request
Updated April 2024
Thank you for your email, unfortunately at the present time Staffordshire Police are not in a position to process any new Civil Proceedings or ABI MoU Insurance requests, this includes all requests for RTC or associated crime related information.
This will apply whilst Staffordshire Police undertakes an internal review of the service provision in this regard and we apologise for the reduced level of service during this time. Staffordshire Police anticipate that the review into the provision of these disclosures will be concluded in 3 months’ time and we will provide a further update in due course.
We apologise for the reduced level of service during this time.
Emails sent to the ABI email account will not be responded to unless they relate to an existing research request, where payment has been received prior to 10/7/2023.
Please do not contact the control room or any other department as they will be unable to assist.
If you have any queries that are in addition to the information provided above, please contact the Staffordshire Police Data Protection Officer at the below email address. If your query is assessed as already being met by the above information you will not receive a response from the Data Protection Officer. SPDPO@staffordshire.police.uk
27/08/2024, SP wrote:
Updated Position August 2024
Staffordshire Police have completed a review of the provision of this service and a recruitment process has taken place. Unfortunately, until the necessary checks have been completed and the new employees are in place Staffordshire Police are not in a position to process any new Civil Proceedings or ABI MoU Insurance requests, this includes all requests for RTC or associated crime related information.
We apologise for the reduced level of service during this time. Please do not contact the control room or any other department as they will be unable to assist.
Emails sent to the Civil email account will not be responded to unless they relate to an already accepted request.
That same day, SP wrote:
‘A new team has been formed to deal with these requests but due to staffing levels, and the training of new staff to the organisation, requests cannot currently be accepted and worked on until the team members are in a position to go live, therefore, I appreciate your patience in this matter, and respectfully request that you re-submit this request along with any others from September 19th onwards.’
24/09/2024, SP wrote as at 27/08/2024:
Updated Position August 2024
Thank you for your email.
Staffordshire Police have completed a review of the provision of this service and a recruitment process has taken place.
Unfortunately, until the necessary checks have been completed and the new employees are in place Staffordshire Police are not in a position to process any new Civil Proceedings or ABI MoU Insurance requests, this includes all requests for RTC or associated crime related information.
We apologise for the reduced level of service during this time.
Please do not contact the control room or any other department as they will be unable to assist.
Emails sent to the Civil email account will not be responded to unless they relate to an already accepted request.
25/09/2024 in reply to the above autoresponder SP was approached and it was put to the constabulary: ‘Last month we were informed by Staffordshire police ‘A new team has been formed to deal with these requests but due to staffing levels, and the training of new staff to the organisation, requests cannot currently be accepted and worked on until the team members are in a position to go live, therefore, I appreciate your patience in this matter, and respectfully request that you re-submit this request along with any others from September 19th onwards‘. The 19th having passed, it appears we have inadvertently received your historical autoresponder
SP replied that same day:
You are correct with your reply, and the team has been put in the place, however, things have not gone entirely to plan, and unfortunately, not all the staff that were to join the team and commence training have done so. We hope to process requests as soon as possible, but I must apologise as I cannot give a timeline for this, but hopefully this will not be too far in the future.
Civil Proceedings Unit
Deputy Chief Constable Command
Information Governance and Assurance
Staffordshire Police
09/2024