Information Commissioner's Office

Summary: The complainant made a request to South Yorkshire Police for information in relation to gun and gun related crime. South Yorkshire Police identified two documents falling within the scope of the request. It supplied to the complainant most of one document but withheld parts of it under sections 31 and 38. In relation to the second document SYP disclosed pages 1-81 with paragraphs redacted under sections 31 and 38 and refused to disclose the remaining pages (82-187) as to do so would exceed the appropriate cost limit under section 12 of the Act. The Commissioner has investigated and found that section 31 is engaged for some of the withheld information and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure of the information. However, the Commissioner also found that some of the withheld information was not exempt under sections 31 or 38. The Commissioner also found that South Yorkshire Police were wrong to withhold the remaining pages of the second document (pages 82-187) under section 12. The Commissioner requires the public authority to disclose the information he has found is not exempt under sections 31 or 38 and to consider in accordance with the Act the request for the information withheld under section 12, either disclosing the information or issuing a valid refusal notice, within 35 calendar days of this notice. Information Tribunal appeal number EA/2009/0029 dismissed.
Section of Act/EIR & Finding: FOI 12 - Complaint Upheld, FOI 21 - Complaint Not upheld, FOI 31 - Complaint Partly Upheld, FOI 38 - Complaint Partly Upheld