FOI 914/25

Request

For the previous 10 years, how many domestic abuse-related reports were received where cocaine is noted in the MO field as a suspected aggravating factor?

1. 2015
2. 2016
3. 2017
4. 2018
5. 2019
6. 2020
7. 2021
8. 2022
9. 2023
10. 2024
11. 2025 – latest available data

• Of the suspected offenders in the reports in Q1, how many were aged under 25?

1. 2015
2. 2016
3. 2017
4. 2018
5. 2019
6. 2020
7. 2021
8. 2022
9. 2023
10. 2024
11. 2025 – latest available data

• For the past 10 years, please share the number of reports received by the police where a victim suspects hidden spyware, AKA stalkerware, has been installed on their device by someone else, in order to track their location or monitor their activity.

Please include search results for any of the following phrases:

'stalkerware', ‘spyware’, ‘mSpy’, and ‘tracking app’.

1. 2015
2. 2016
3. 2017
4. 2018
5. 2019
6. 2020
7. 2021
8. 1. 2015
   2. 2016
   3. 2017
   4. 2018
   5. 2019
   6. 2020
   7. 2021
   8. 2022
   9. 2023
   10. 2024
   11. 2025 – latest available data
       1. 2023
       2. 2024
       3. 2025 – latest available data
       4. Of the reports in Q3, how many of the victims were aged under 25? 

   RESPONSE

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

   Section 17(5) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires South Wales Police, when refusing to provide such information (because the information is exempt) to provide you the applicant with a notice which: 

   (a) states that fact,

   (b) specifies the exemption in question and

   (c) states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.

   In relation to your particular request, the following exemption applies:

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

   In order to answer question 1, a search has been conducted on our crime and incident recording system (Niche RMS) for all occurrences recorded between 1^st January 2015 and 14^th July 2025 where ‘Domestic incident’ has been selected under the filter. Due to the volume of the data, each search has to be broken down into 6 monthly searches and broken down by each Basic Command Unit (Cardiff and the Vale, Mid Glamorgan and Swansea, Neath Port Talbot) within South Wales. This keyword ‘Cocaine’ has then been entered under the Modus Operandi (MO) field. As a result, 63 searches have been carried out. Each search has taken approximately 10 minutes to retrieve the data. This has taken approximately 10 hours and 30 minutes to locate and retrieve the figures for question 1.

   In order to assist with question 3, a second search will need to be conducted on Niche RMS for all occurrences recorded between 1^st January 2015 and 14^th July 2025. As this part of the request asks for all reports received, the searches will take longer to locate and retrieve as this will bring back larger results.

   Whilst I am unable to quantify exactly how long this research would take, questions 1 and 3 combined 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 3 and 4, we may be able to assist with questions 1 and 2.