Obtaining
Information
You have the right to request any
information held by public authorities. The Act allows access to
recorded information, such as emails, meeting minutes, research or
reports, held by public authorities in England, Northern Ireland
and Wales and some authorities located in Scotland. Scottish public
authorities are subject to the Freedom of Information (Scotland)
Act 2002.
Suffolk Constabulary routinely publishes information
on its website. Most information provided in this way is freely
available for downloading.
Please look at
our
Publication
Scheme to see if the
information you require is already available.
If
there is information that you feel should be included in our
Publication Scheme, please let us know by completing the
Feedback Form
Making a FOIA Request
Since 1 January 2005 anyone in the world has been
able to request information from any public body in the UK. If you
would like to request information from Suffolk Constabulary that
you cannot access via the publication scheme on our website please
write to us, giving your name and address and explaining what you
would like to see as clearly as possible. If you also give us your
telephone number we will be able to discuss the request with you
direct.
Your
request must:
-
be made in writing (this can be
electronically e.g., fax, email);
-
state the name of the applicant
and an address for correspondence; and
-
describe the information
requested.
To make a request, please write
to:
Freedom of
Information
Suffolk
Constabulary
Police
Headquarters
Martlesham
Heath
Ipswich
Suffolk
IP5 3QS
Or
alternatively email:
Information@suffolk.pnn.police.uk
The
FOIA recognises that some of the information requested can be
exempt from disclosure for various valid reasons. Most common
requests received, which are exempt from disclosure are those
concerning personal data, which is dealt with by the Data
Protection Team, also information which may in turn prejudice an
ongoing Police Investigation or disclose vital Policing
tactics.
Public Authorities are not obliged to
respond to repeated or vexatious requests.
In most cases the information requested
will be provided to you free of charge however, we may refuse a
request if it is estimated that the costs to fulfil the request
will exceed cost limit, which is £450 for the Police Service. In
such cases a fees notice will be issued and the request will be
held for 60 days or until payment is received.
Where the cost limit does not exceed
the cost threshold, the only other charges that may be passes to
you is the cost of providing the information, for example
photocopying and postage.
Right to Appeal
Where
a request for information under the individual right of access is
denied, the applicant has the right to appeal the decision. Appeals
should in the first instance be made to Suffolk Constabulary where
they will be subject to independent scrutiny, but should the
applicant still be unhappy they will have the right to appeal
against the decision of non-disclosure to the Information
Commissioner.
For more information on your right to appeal
please click on the following
link:Freedom of Information Complaint Rights 112kb
(pdf) - opens in a new
window.