FOI 396/25
REQUEST
- The number of domestic violence prevention notices issued in the last five years with yearly breakdown
- The number of domestic violence protection orders granted in the last five years with yearly breakdown
- The number of non-molestation orders granted in the last five years with yearly breakdown
- The number of restraining orders granted in the last five years with yearly breakdown
- The number of forced marriage protection orders granted in the last five years with yearly breakdown
- The number of stalking protection orders granted in the last five years with yearly breakdown
- The number of breaches of each order in the last five years with yearly breakdown. Including DVPNs, DVPOs, non-molestation orders, restraining orders, SPOs and FMPOs and the result of that breach. Please state the gender of the defendant
- The number of defendants who have breached an order multiple times and by how many times in the last five years. Please state the gender of the defendant
- The number of people convicted of murder who were subject to a domestic abuse related order in the last five years. Please state the gender of the defendant
RESPONSE
Questions 4, 7 and 8
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.
At South Wales Police we monitor and collate statistical data on crimes, incidents and other data relevant to our daily business. The predominant purpose of this is to identifying pattern and trends, so resource allocation and policies can be managed to ensure public safety. The data you have requested is not routinely collated in the format that would easily answer your query.
Our Public Protection and Safeguarding Department have confirmed that there are over 500 orders, including DVPNs, DVPOs, non-molestation orders and FMPOs between 1st January 2020 and 31st December 2024.
We estimate that it would take approximately 8 – 10 minutes to individually interrogate each occurrence on our crime and incident recording system (Niche RMS) in order to ascertain the information to answer questions 7 and 8.
We therefore estimate that it would take in excess of 66 hours to answer this part of your request.
In relation to question 4, the data is not recorded in an easily retrievable format that would easily answer this part of your request.
In order to ascertain the figures to answer question 4, we would be required to individually interrogate all records on Niche RMS where there is an active ‘subject to order’ flag linked. The ‘subject to order’ flags can relate to a variety of different orders (e.g. criminal behaviour orders, non-molestation orders as well as restraining orders). We would therefore need to manually review each one in order to establish if they relate to restraining orders.
Whilst I cannot quantify exactly how long this would take it would most certainly exceed the 18 hours stipulated by the regulations.
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. If you were to remove questions 4, 7 and 8, we may be able to assist.
You may wish to submit question 4 of your request to the CPS (Crown Prosecution Services) as restraining orders can be taken out by the individual at court without any knowledge of the police.
Please see the link below:
Freedom of Information | The Crown Prosecution Service (cps.gov.uk)