FOI 536/25

REQUEST

I am writing to make a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. As part of the UKRI International Law Enforcement Information Exchange Project (Edge Hill University), examining how information can be effectively exchanged between law enforcement agencies, we would like to ask you to provide the following information:

Information Sharing System:

What systems does your force use to share information with other police forces or partners here in the UK? (Please list the systems, i.e. PND/PNC; If possible, additionally indicate what you use each system for).

CLARIFICATION

To clarify and narrow the scope of my request, I am specifically interested in the following types of systems:

1. National policing databases (e.g., PNC, PND)
2. Intelligence sharing platforms (e.g., Niche, Athena, or other intelligence management systems)
3. Secure communication or document sharing platforms (e.g., CJSM, MS Teams, or others used to communicate securely with external agencies)
4. Case or offender management systems shared between forces or with partners (e.g., ViSOR)
5. Any other key system routinely used for inter-agency collaboration

I am not asking for information about internal-only systems or systems used solely for administrative or HR purposes.

RESPONSE

Your request for information has now been considered and I am not obliged to supply the information you have requested.       

In relation to your request, the following exemption applies:

Section 12 – Exemption where cost of compliance exceeds appropriate limit.

We consulted with our Digital data and Technology unit who have advised to retrieve the information that you have requested and the vast amount of systems, it would require contacting various departments to provide a response regarding each individual system.

Whilst we cannot quantity how long this would take, it would certainly be over the 18 hour limit.

It is estimated that the cost of providing you with the information is above the amount to which we are legally required to respond i.e. the cost of locating and retrieving the information exceeds the "appropriate level" as stated in the Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004.

In the case of the police service, the appropriate limit is £450 which has been calculated to equate to a total of 18 hours of work.

If any part of the request exceeds the fees limit then Section 12 applies to the whole request.

In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a refusal notice.

Excess cost removes the forces obligation under the Freedom of Information Act, however under Section 16 – Duty to provide advice and assistance, an authority is required to offer an applicant the opportunity to redefine their request within the cost limit. Unfortunately, due to the way in which data is recorded, we can see no feasible way in which you could refine your request.