FOI 721/24 Media/press releases and/or media engagement

Dear Sir/Madam, 

Enquiry Reference:  721 - 24                                                                        

I write in connection with regards to your Freedom of Information. Below is your request and our response.

Please can you supply a copy of any policy, guidelines, guidance, protocols, strategy and / or procedures you hold relating to the following:

• media/press releases and/or media engagement
• The use of the preferred pronouns, self-identified gender or biological sex of suspects, offenders, missing persons and/or victims in media/press releases and/or media engagement

For clarification where I say self identified gender I mean where a person has a trans or non-binary identity, where I say biological sex I mean the sex of the person as recorded at birth. Where I say media/press releases I mean when police release or provide information directly to the media or via their own social media channels such as facebook or X, for example in relation to crimes, suspects, offenders, victims, missing persons etc.  where I say media I mean media outlets, journalists, newspapers or news outlets.

Having made enquiries within the Force, we always put the preferences of the victim at the centre of all communications and work to the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) guidance on such activities.

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.                                                  

If you are not satisfied with this response or any actions taken in dealing with your request, you have the right to request an independent internal review of your case under our review procedure. The Freedom of Information Code of Practice (see below link) states that a request for internal review should be made within 20 working days of the date on this response or 40 working days if extenuating circumstances to account for the delay can be evidenced. Public authorities are not obliged to accept internal reviews after this date.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/freedom-of-information-code-of-practice

Yours sincerely

Information Rights Decision Maker