FOI 730/24 Bike Thefts and Injured Cyclists

Dear Sir/Madam

 

Enquiry Reference:  730 - 24                                                                                            

 

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

 

1) Between 1st July 2023 and 1st July 2024, the number of reported road incidents where a cyclist was injured

 

2) Between 1st July 2023 and 1st July 2024, the number of reported incidents where a cyclist was  physically or verbally assaulted by a pedestrian or another road user

 

3) The number of reported bike thefts between 1st July 2023 and 1st July 2024

 

4) If reported as such, the street/area where the these offences were most likely to occur

 

5) If these have risen or fallen year on

 

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 made enquiries within the Force due to the nature of our recording systems the information requested, if held, is not in an easily retrievable format. Our information retrieval process generally relies on a computer ran report which captures any information recorded upon the surface of a record. Where relevant information is held deeper in a record a manual assessment is usually required to retrieve that information. In this instance a cyclist being injured or physically / verbally assaulted by a pedestrian is not held at the case management system level therefore to determine such detail would require a manual search through all reports.

We have 27500 violence offences and 900 transport incidents with an injury in the time period

and this would take in excess of the appropriate time stipulated by the Secretary for Constitutional Affairs, 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(1) of the Freedom of information Act.

 

In accordance with Section 16 of the Act we have a duty to provide advice and assistance however on this occasion we cannot offer any suggestion on how you could refine this request.

 

The information Questions 3 – 5 below is provided outside of the Act as a gesture of goodwill.

 

The table is a breakdown of the volume of Bicycle Thefts between July 2023 and June 2024, this is also broken down by ward/area.  

 

44 - Theft or Unauthorised Taking of a Pedal Cycle	596
Acklam	3
Ayresome	3
Berwick Hills & Pallister	30
Billingham Central	15
Billingham East	6
Billingham North	3
Billingham South	3
Billingham West	1
Bishopsgarth & Elm Tree	6
Brambles & Thorntree	6
Brotton	1
Burn Valley	12
Central	67
Coatham	25
Coulby Newham	8
De Bruce	1
Dormanstown	6
Eaglescliffe	5
Eston	5
Fens & Greatham	3
Foggy Furze	6
Grangefield	2
Grangetown	5
Guisborough	6
Hardwick & Salters Lane	9
Hart	4
Hartburn	1
Headland & Harbour	12
Hemlington	7
Ingleby Barwick West	5
Kader	6
Kirkleatham	11
Ladgate	5
Linthorpe	4
Longbeck	1
Longlands & Beechwood	16
Mandale & Victoria	27
Manor House	3
Marton East	2
Newcomen	6
Newport	22
Newtown	11
Normanby	4
North Ormesby	6
Northern Parishes	3
Norton North	2
Norton South	3
Norton West	2
Ormesby	3
Park	15
Park End & Beckfield	9
Parkfield & Oxbridge	14
Roseworth	5
Rossmere	6
Rural West	1
Saltburn	6
Seaton	1
Skelton East	1
South Bank	21
St. Germain's	7
Stainsby Hill	4
Stockton Town Centre	47
Teesville	6
Throston	6
Trimdon	1
Victoria	24
Village	4
West Dyke	11
Yarm	2
Zetland	2
Grand Total	596

In terms of percentage change (question 5), the 596 Bicycle thefts in this period are a reduction off 18.2% when compared to the preceding 12 months (133 fewer thefts).

 

Bicycle Thefts	12 months ending June 2024	12 months ending June 2023	Change (%)
	596	729	-18.20%

 

 

 

Please note that all statistical data supplied in relation to Freedom of Information requests is a snapshot of data held at the time the request was received by the Freedom of Information office and is subject to constant change/updates.

 

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