I Would Like to Know How Many Weapons Have Been Seized From
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I would like to know how many weapons have been seized from schools in your area in the last five years (2018,2017,2016,2015,2014)? Please, break this down by the weapon seized and the year in which it was seized. • Any additional information such as the school in which it was found would be useful, as well as any information about the nature of its use. Please see the table below which shows the total number of weapons seized in schools between 01/01/2014 and 31/12/2018. Further data can be found on the attached documents, relating to the circumstances and schools involved. Year Seized 2014 16 2015 33 2016 49 2017 66 2018 73 Notes Figures represent the number of property items linked to crimes recorded during the period which: - had a 'FIREARM' OR 'WEAPON' linked as 'SEIZED' - had a crime location qualifier of 'SCHOOL' Figures exclude ammunition One crime can result in multiple weapon seizures which may occur during the course of the investigation These figures may be subject to further investigation, reclassification and cancelling and will therefore change over time Crime classifications based on Home Office Counting Rules for Recorded Crime https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/counting-rules-for-recorded-crime Recent increases in weapons crime are predominantly associated with administrative change in relation to Force crime recording processes which have resulted in an increased likelihood of a crime being recorded following an incident report to the Police. Crime increases have been reported across a number of crime types and the increases in weapons crime follow a similar pattern to related offences such as public order, hate crime and low level violence without injury. The force has made improvements to how information about incidents is recorded. West Yorkshire Police have maintained engagement with schools through the Safer Schools Partnership, a national way of working to foster intensive and long-term engagement with the school community whether pupils, teachers, governors or parents. The partnership has seen members of the Force, usually police officers, but in some cases PCSOs, fulfil their operational duties in a school-based environment as a ‘resident’ member of staff. The partnership has involved schools contributing a certain percentage of an officer’s/PCSOs salary in return for their work in the school. The precise percentage has varied from school to school. It also determines the percentage of time they spend at the school, so a 20% contribution may mean that an officer spends 1 day a week at the school. In the last few years, the numbers of Safer Schools Officers have altered due to changes in the financial contributions of participating schools. Currently only 3 of the 5 Districts have Safer Schools Officers. The Force ‘Safer Schools Partnership Strategy’ has been reviewed and amended to be renamed ‘Working with educational institutions’, available via the below link: http://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/sites/default/files/files/policies/working_with_educational_institutions. pdf. The policy is now more inclusive, applying to all officers and staff who engage with educational institutions, not solely those who are Safer Schools Officers. The policy combines elements which may be more applicable to officers based in schools with those that apply to all officers regardless of role. There are some local arrangements with schools in regarding an action plan/protocols as to how possession of a weapon cases are managed and what each service can expect from partners. Kirklees is trialling a scheme that will be reviewed with the potential to implement across the Force if successful and if schools are prepared to engage. West Yorkshire Police employ a qualified teacher in the role of Education Liaison Officer. Their function is to identify areas of concerns and potential risk and develop programmes to reduce that risk. The Education Liaison Officer has developed a knife awareness programme and trained every Safer Schools Officer, Ward Manager and a large number of PCSOs. These officers are delivering this training to primary and secondary schools across the Force raising awareness in young of the dangers and consequences of carrying a knife or bladed implement. Unfortunately West Yorkshire Police is unable to provide you with full summary details, therefore redactions have been applied by virtue of Section 30(1) - Investigations and Section 40(2) - Personal information. Please see Appendix A for the full legislative explanation. Appendix A The Freedom of Information Act 2000 creates a statutory right of access to information held by public authorities. A public authority in receipt of a request must, if permitted, state under Section 1(a) of the Act, whether it holds the requested information and, if held, then communicate that information to the applicant under Section 1(b) of the Act. The right of access to information is not without exception and is subject to a number of exemptions which are designed to enable public authorities, to withhold information that is unsuitable for release. Importantly the Act is designed to place information into the public domain. Information is granted to one person under the Act, it is then considered public information and must be communicated to any individual, should a request be received. DECISION Your request for information has been considered and I regret to inform you that West Yorkshire Police cannot comply. This letter serves as a Refusal Notice under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Section 17 of the Act provides: (1) A public authority which, in relation to any request for information, is to any extent relying on a claim that information is exempt information must, within the time for complying with Section 1(1), give the applicant a notice which:- (a) States the fact, (b) Specifies the exemption in question, and (c) States (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies. REASONS FOR DECISION The reason that we are unable to provide you with this information is covered by the following exemptions: Section 30(1) – Investigations and proceedings conducted by a public authority. In relation to the above qualified exemption I am obliged to conduct a public interest test on the information held and here are my considerations: Factors favouring disclosure Disclosure would adhere to the basic principle of being open and transparent and would allow for a more accurate public debate. Factors favouring non-disclosure The crime notes are an account given by the reporting person at the time the incident is reported. If we were to disclose full details of crime notes and full information relating to ongoing investigations it has the potential to undermine any potential criminal proceedings which could arise. Balancing Test: The Police Service is tasked with enforcing the law and protecting the community we serve and there is a public interest argument in ensuring we are open and transparent with regard to policing investigations. The ability of West Yorkshire Police to conduct such enquiries is crucial to the principles of prevention and detection of crime. It is therefore our opinion that the balance lies in favour of non-disclosure of the information at this time. Section 40(2) – Personal Information This is an absolute and class based exemption and so requires no harm or public interest test to be undertaken. To disclose the redacted information would breach principle 1 (lawfulness, fairness and transparency) of the Data Protection Act 2018. Please note that police forces do not use generic systems or identical procedures for capturing the data. For these reasons this response to your questions, should not be used for comparison purposes with responses you may have received from other police forces. Weapons seized in schools, 01/01/2014-31/12/2018 Year Seized 2014 16 2015 33 2016 49 2017 66 2018 73 Notes Figures represent the number of property items linked to crimes recorded during the period which: - had a 'FIREARM' OR 'WEAPON' linked as 'SEIZED' - had a crime location qualifier of 'SCHOOL' Figures exclude ammunition One crime can result in multiple weapon seizures which may occur during the course of the investigation These figures may be subject to further investigation, reclassification and cancelling and will therefore change over time Crime classifications based on Home Office Counting Rules for Recorded Crime https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/counting-rules-for-recorded-crime Year Weapon Type Crime notes 2014 KNIFE-KITCHEN FOIA s.30(1) s.40(2) FEMALE ON THE GROUNDS IN POSSESSION OF A KNIFE AND THREATENING TO SELF-HARM. FOIA s 30(1) s.40(2) OFFICERS GAVE CHASE AND LOCATED HER TO THE REAR OF THE SCHOOL, SHE WAS ARRESTED IN POSSESSION OF THE KNIFE. 2014 PENKNIFE SUSPECT 1 IS FOUND IN POSSESSION OF A MULTI TOOL KNIFE FOIA s 30(1) s.40(2) 2014 KNIFE-KITCHEN FOIA s.30(1) s.40(2) SUSPECT GETS INTO ARGUMENT WITH TEACHER AT LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL.FOIA s.30(1) s.40(2) SUSPECT RETURNS TO SCHOOL WITH KNIFE ON HIS PERSON AND IN THE PRESANCE OF STAFF MAKES THREATS TO STAB TEACHER. FOIA s.30(1) s.40(2) 2014 KNIFE-KITCHEN FOIA s.30(1) s.40(2) . WITNESS CAN FEEL LARGE KNIFE IN SUSPECT'S BAG, WHICH SUSPECT SUBSEQUENTLY PRODUCES FROM BAG IN PRESENCE OF STAFF IN SCHOOL OFFICEFOIA s.30(1) s.40(2) . 2014 PENKNIFE FOIA s.30(1) s.40(2) WHILST SEARCHING SUSPECT A KNIFE, WITH A 2.5 INCH BLADE, IS FOUND IN HIS POSSESSION. FOIA s.30(1) s 2014 KNIFE-KITCHEN OFFENDER ISFOIA s.30(1) s.40(2) SCHOOL STUDENT WHO TAKES CLAW HAMMER AND KITCHEN KNIFE INTO SCHOOL CARRIED INSIDE HIS SCHOOL BAG. FOIA s.30(1) s.4 2014 KNIFE-STANLEY UNKNOWN SUSPECT/S GAIN ENTRY TO THE REAR OF SCHOOL GROUNDS BY CLIMBING OVER A FENCE.