Joint Information Management Unit Operational Headquarters Tower Street Winchester Hampshire SO23 8ZD Telephone Direct Dial 101 023 8047 9580 T Roberts Fax Text Relay request-470406- 01962 874201 18001 101 [email protected] Email Address [email protected] 08 May 2018 Our ref: HC/000808/18 Your ref: Dear Mr Roberts FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST HC/000808/18 I write in response to the above referenced Freedom of Information request submitted on 9th April 2018, Hampshire Constabulary has now considered this request, which has been repeated below and have responded accordingly. Request Response Which departments are based at the The information has been supplied following locations; below. Please note some information has been exempted as follows: Park Gate Police Station. Eastleigh Police Station. S31 Law enforcement Havant Police Station. Information is exempt from disclosure Totton Police Station. under s31(1)(a)(b) where the release of Whitchurch Police Station information would, or would be likely to, prejudice the prevention and detection of crime and/or the apprehension or prosecution of offenders. This exemption is qualified and prejudice- based and, as such, I am required to evidence the harm in disclosure and apply the public interest test. Please see below: Station Department Eastleigh Police Front Counters Resource Management JOU Roads Policing Unit Neighbourhoods Hampshire Public Protection Havant Police Front Counters Specialist Support JOU Roads Policing Unit Neighbourhoods Hampshire Neighbourhoods Portsmouth Public Protection Park Gate Custody and Criminal Justice JOU Roads Policing Unit Neighbourhoods Hampshire Public Protection Totton Corporate Communications JOU Roads Policing Unit Neighbourhoods Hampshire Whitchurch Specialist Support JOU Operations JOU Roads Policing Unit Evidence of Harm Providing information relating to specific departments at named police stations under FOI would put information into the public domain which relates to operationally sensitive areas of policing. The prevention and detection of crime is the foundation upon which policing is built and the police have a clear responsibility to prevent crime, arrest those responsible for committing crime or those that plan to commit crime. The release of this information may compromise these capabilities with criminals gaining an understanding of specialist units and their locations and using this information to target the force with criminal intent. Therefore the release of this information would significantly compromise police tactics and its law enforcement functions. Public Interest Test Factors favouring disclosure Factors favouring non-disclosure s31 There is a public interest in the These areas of policing are in place community being made aware of to protect the public and the specialist policing units. This enhanced community as a whole. To disclose knowledge would assist in providing information on the location of transparency in the way the Hampshire specialist departments would Constabulary carry out their day-to-day compromise law enforcement tactics delivery of operational law enforcement. and put the police and public at risk from those wishing to cause harm. The risk to public safety cannot be ignored and Hampshire Constabulary has a responsibility to ensure safety of individuals is protected at all times. Balancing Test Although we acknowledge that there is a general public interest in being reassured as to what areas of policing are based where in the local community, Public safety is of paramount importance to Hampshire Constabulary, and we would not place information into the public domain that could be used to allow offenders to commit crime and avoid apprehension. In this case, therefore, the public interest lies in the non-disclosure of the exempted information. COMPLAINT RIGHTS If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision made by Hampshire Constabulary, you can lodge a complaint with the force to have the decision reviewed within 2 months of the date of this response. Complaints should be made in writing to the Public Access office at the address at the top of this letter. If, after lodging a complaint with Hampshire Constabulary, you are still unhappy with the outcome, you may make application to the Information Commissioner at the Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF, via telephone on 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545745 or at the website www.ico.org.uk Yours sincerely Becky Hill Public Access Officer Joint Information Management Unit .