The Freedom of Information Act was introduced to encourage a culture of openness from Public Authorities and gives members of the public the opportunity to ask for any information held by us, subject to exemptions within the Act.

All information released under Freedom of Information is automatically made available to the world, not just those that have requested the information.

The Act comprises of 23 Exemptions to protect certain information from being released such as personal data and information concerning Police Investigation. Such exemptions are considered when reviewing requests for information.

Please note that where the Constabulary receives a request for information under Freedom of Information that relates specifically to the applicant, i.e. personal data, a ‘Neither Confirm Nor Deny’ response will be issued and the request will be passed to the Data Protection Team.

Further information concerning access to personal information held by Suffolk Constabulary can be found within our Data Protection Pages – Subject Access

More detailed information concerning the Freedom of Information Act and the exemptions can be found via the Information Commissioners Website. 

In addition to the disclosure of information, The Freedom of Information Act ensures Public Bodies publish information as a matter of routine within their Publication Scheme, which is enforced under Section 19 of the Act.

Suffolk Constabulary has adopted and will maintain a Publication scheme so that information can be made available to the public. The Scheme has been approved by the Information Commissioner and follows the standard format used by police services in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Scheme will be regularly reviewed.

Suffolk Constabulary’s Publication Scheme can be accessed here  

The Publication Scheme obligates the Constabulary to publish information within certain ’classes’ as defined by the Information Commissioner. The classes ensure information routinely disclosed is easily accessible, details how the information can be obtained and whether or not there is a fee. 

The classes and published information can be accessed here

As well as ensuring routinely published information is widely available, the Publication Scheme also provides a chance for Suffolk Constabulary to publish all disclosures made in response to requests for information by proactively adding them to our Disclosure Logs.

To view the Discloure Logs, please click on the following link: Disclosure

Further information about Freedom of Information can by found on the Information Commissioner's Website.

To view the Suffolk Police Authority website, please click on the following link: Police Authority