Fleet vehicles operated in the last 10 years

Response

Insofar as the information held in relation to your request is suitable for disclosure, it has been provided within the attached .csv file. This shows details including colour, registration date and marked/unmarked status of current fleet vehicles, as well as the sale date for sold vehicles.  

 

The following information has been withheld: 

 

• Vehicle make and model. 

• Information relating to covert vehicles. 

• Information relating to vehicles used by operationally sensitive departments or specialist policing functions. 

 

The exemptions applied are:  

 

• Section 24(1) – National Security  

• Section 31(1)(a) and (b) – Law Enforcement  

 

Sections 24 and 31 are qualified exemptions and require evidence of harm together with consideration of the public interest test.  

  

Harm in Disclosure  

Whilst individual police vehicles may be observed in public, disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act is a disclosure to the world at large. The release of a collated dataset covering police vehicles over a ten-year period would provide a far greater level of insight than could reasonably be obtained through casual observation.  

 

Disclosure of vehicle makes and models would enable individuals intent on disrupting police activity to identify the types of vehicles used by Avon and Somerset Police and, when combined with information already available in the public domain, build a detailed picture of policing capabilities, deployment methods and specialist resources.  

 

The disclosure would be likely to prejudice law enforcement by:  

 

• Assisting criminals in identifying vehicles used for specialist policing functions, including roads policing, firearms operations and other operational deployments.  

• Increasing the likelihood of covert vehicles being identified, thereby compromising current or future operations.  

• Allowing offenders to adapt their behaviour and take measures to evade police detection and surveillance.  

• Enabling a broader understanding of operational capability, vehicle availability and tactical resources.  

• Contributing to a wider national intelligence picture when combined with disclosures from other police forces.  

 

The release of this information could therefore undermine the prevention and detection of crime, the apprehension and prosecution of offenders and the effective administration of justice.  

 

In addition, disclosure would be likely to have implications for national security. Modern policing relies upon specialist and covert capabilities to counter threats from organised criminal networks and, in some circumstances, individuals involved in terrorism-related activity. The gradual disclosure of fleet composition across police forces could assist hostile actors in assessing policing capabilities and vulnerabilities, thereby reducing the effectiveness of operational tactics used to protect the public.  

 

The harm is not limited to the vehicles currently in service. Disclosure of historical fleet information would still contribute to understanding vehicle selection criteria, specialist vehicle types and operational methodologies, and would add to the overall intelligence picture available to those seeking to undermine policing activity.  

 

  

Public Interest Test  

 

Section 24(1) – National Security  

 

Factors favouring disclosure  

• Disclosure would promote openness and transparency regarding the use of public funds.  

• It would enable greater public scrutiny of police fleet procurement and asset management decisions.  

• It would contribute to public understanding of how resources have been allocated over time.  

 

Factors favouring maintaining the exemption  

• There is a strong public interest in ensuring that policing capabilities used to protect the public are not compromised.  

• Disclosure would contribute to a broader understanding of police operational resources and capabilities that could be exploited by hostile individuals or groups.  

• Any reduction in the effectiveness of covert, specialist or intelligence-led policing would adversely affect national security and public safety.  

 

The public interest in protecting national security is substantial and must be afforded significant weight.  

  

Section 31(1)(a) and (b) – Law Enforcement  

 

Factors favouring disclosure  

• Disclosure would further transparency and accountability regarding police vehicle assets.  

• It would inform public debate regarding expenditure on police resources. 

• It would assist public understanding of how Avon and Somerset Police manages its vehicle fleet.  

 

Factors favouring maintaining the exemption  

• Disclosure would reveal information that could assist offenders in identifying vehicles associated with specific policing functions.  

• It may enable criminals to develop tactics to avoid detection, evade surveillance or counter police operations.  

• It would increase the risk of covert vehicles being identified and rendered ineffective.  

• It would reveal information about the nature and extent of operational resources available to the force.  

• Information disclosed by one force can be combined with information disclosed elsewhere to create a wider picture of policing capabilities, resulting in greater prejudice than consideration of this information in isolation would suggest.  

 

Police forces have a duty to prevent and detect crime and to protect the public. The release of information which would undermine those functions cannot be considered to be in the public interest.  

  

Balance Test  

The public interest in openness, transparency and accountability is recognised and given appropriate weight. However, there is a stronger public interest in ensuring that Avon and Somerset Police retains the ability to prevent and detect crime effectively and protect the public.  

 

Disclosure of vehicle makes and models, together with information capable of identifying covert or specialist vehicles, would provide intelligence that could be used to undermine policing operations and avoid law enforcement activity. Whilst any single piece of information may appear limited in isolation, disclosure would contribute to a wider mosaic of information concerning police capabilities and tactics.  

 

Furthermore, disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act is applicant blind and effectively places the information into the public domain. Once released, there can be no control over its further use or combination with information obtained from other sources or other police forces.  

 

For these reasons, the public interest in maintaining the exemptions outweighs the public interest in disclosure and the exemptions provided by Sections 24(1) and 31(1)(a) and (b) are upheld.  

  

Whilst this request may only concern historic or individual vehicle records, Avon and Somerset Police must consider the cumulative impact of disclosure. Releasing make and model information in response to individual or narrowly framed requests would undermine the effectiveness of the exemption by enabling fleet information to be obtained incrementally. The prejudice identified above arises equally whether the information is requested collectively or piecemeal.