FOI 697/25

REQUEST

Time Period: January 2022 to the most recent available month in 2025

Breakdown: Ideally by month and by city/town, or region if more appropriate

1. The number of call-outs where BBQs were a contributing factor (e.g., reports of fire, public disturbance, antisocial behaviour, etc.). If you can provide the call out type with this it would be great but total number if not.
2. The number of arrests or charges brought as a result of fires started by BBQs.
3. The number of arrests or charges brought in connection with disturbances at BBQs (e.g., alcohol-related, antisocial behaviour, fights, etc.).

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.

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, therefore, to accurately answer your request. To retrieve the information, we would require manual interrogation of thousands of records to establish if it is related to a BBQ. Whilst I cannot quantity exactly how long this would take, it would certainly exceed 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. If you were to request a keyword search of the word BBQ, we may be able to assist with your request.

South Wales Police do not routinely conduct keyword searches. The results retrieved are dependent on how the information has been entered onto the system. As such, the information provided by keyword searches should not be considered statistically accurate and/or definitive and therefore, care should be taken when using this data for any further statistical, analytical or evaluative purposes.