11332 - Leather Exhibits
I write in connection with regards to your request received in this office on 30th September. I note you seek the following:
1. In the last 5 years, have you recovered any leather exhibits from crime scenes or from the person?
2. If yes to question 1, please provide a breakdown of types of leather exhibits recovered and number per year (clothing - jacket for example; footwear; furniture; weapon sheath - knife, gun, other; animal lead; wallet; belt; hand bag).
3. If the leather exhibits were submitted to a Chemical Development Laboratory, please disclose what fingermark development methods were used on the leather exhibits and if they were successfully used to visualise fingermarks.
4. Please disclose if the fingermarks on leather exhibits successfully yielded any identifications.
5. If yes to question 4, please provide data as to how many identifications were yielded from leather exhibits.
Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) places two duties on public authorities. Unless exemptions apply, the first duty at Section 1 (1) (a) is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in a request is held. The second duty at Sec 1(1) (b) is to disclose information that has been confirmed as being held. Where exemptions are relied upon s17 of FOIA requires that we provide the applicant with a notice which: a) states that fact b) specifies the exemption(s) in question and c) states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.
Having contacted the relevant department regarding your request I have been advised that we do not record the information to the level you are requesting. Any leather exhibits would be recorded under the item i.e clothing, footwear or other and to answer your questions would require all exhibits to be read manually to ascertain if they are pertinent to your request and is estimated that this would take in excess of the appropriate time stipulated by the Secretary for Constitutional Affairs, Lord Falconer on the 18th Of October 2004, that is, eighteen hours. This falls under the exemption of 'Compliance exceeding the appropriate limit' covered by Section 12 (1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and as such this work could not be undertaken.
Therefore, please treat this as a refusal notice under S17 of the Freedom of information Act. Under Section 16 of the Act we have a duty to provide advice and assistance in relation to your request however on this occasion we cannot suggest how to refine your request as we do not hold the information down to this level.
The Cleveland Police response to your request is unique and it should be noted that Police Forces do not use generic systems or identical procedures to capture and record data therefore responses from Cleveland Police should not be used as a comparison with any other force response you receive.