FOI 62/26 Grok related Crime Reports

Date: 10/02/26

Enquiry Reference: FOI 62-26                                                                                  

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

I am interested in the period from 1 August 2025 to the present, which reflects when the platform “Grok” began to be used in contexts relevant to safeguarding and potential criminal misuse, including image generation.

Please treat the following as separate but related requests:

1) Recorded offences mentioning “Grok”

For offences recorded by your force during this period, please state the number of crime reports in which the free-text field (sometimes described by forces as the modus operandi or MO field) contains a mention of the word “Grok”.

Please provide a breakdown by offence type.

2) Redacted free-text crime report entries

For the same period, please provide redacted copies of the relevant free-text crime report entries in which “Grok” is mentioned.

I am not requesting personal data. Any information identifying individuals may be redacted as necessary.

3) Use of Grok in connection with recorded offences

Please state whether your force holds any information indicating that “Grok” was used to facilitate, generate, alter or share material relevant to a recorded offence during this period.

Where such information is held, please state how many offences this relates to and, where possible, provide a breakdown by offence category (for example, sexual offences, indecent images, harassment, malicious communications, fraud).

Having made enquiries within the Force our answer on this occasion is no information held.

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