Dog Theft Arrest and Charges 2016-2021
Date of request: 18 May 2021
Reference: 176/21 and 353/21
Request
Please disclose the number of arrests and charges each year for the last five years relating thefts involving dogs.
Please also include a breakdown of the ages, gender, ethnicity and nationality of the individuals.
Please ensure the format separates figures for arrests and charges and if figures for charges are not available please provide only figures for arrests.
Response
Please find below the information we have identified as relevant to your request. The figures provided are of Burglaries and thefts where the property type listed as stolen contained the word ‘Animal- Dog.’
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
| Arrests | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Charges | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Age (years) | 20-29 | 30-39 | 40-49 | 50-59 |
| Arrests | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Charges | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Gender | Male | Female | Not Recorded |
| Arrests | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| Charges | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Ethnicity | White – North European |
| Arrests | 8 |
| Charges | 8 |
| England | Ireland | Wales | UK | Not Recorded | |
| Arrests | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Charges | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
I am not obliged to provide the information in the format requested as to provide all the information together as you have asked would identify personal information. The exemption applicable to this is:
- Section 40(2), third party personal information.
This is an Absolute exemption so therefore there is no requirement to conduct a harm or public interest test. Any information is exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act if it relates to or is supplied by another individual and disclosure of that information would contravene any of the data protection principles set out in:
(a) Article 5(1) of the GDPR, and
(b) Section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018;
A Freedom of Information Disclosure is a disclosure to the world. Therefore information that is provided can be viewed by any member of the public. To provide the information together as you have requested may have severe consequences. For example, an individual may be identified by another member of the public. Alternatively an individual could identify themselves, and be aware that their personal data has been used unlawfully.
Should the information be provided in a format in which a living individual could be identified this would constitute personal data. This would then become a breach of rights provided under the Data Protection Act 2018. Information held on an individual by Avon and Somerset Constabulary is done so lawfully and is used for a policing purpose in line with the principles set out in the GDPR. Our privacy policy can be viewed here