Fleet Vehicles and Fleet Procurement – August 2025

Response

Please find attached Avon and Somerset Police fleet list as held at the time of your request. A more recent version has also been published and is available here.

 

Some operationally sensitive information has been withheld from the attached fleet list, for reasons explained at the end of this letter.

 

Additionally, please see the following information in regard to the aspects of your request shown in bold:

 

Any new models procured or deployed in 2025 with anticipated quantities and planned in service dates.

Frontline policing roles.

Citroen Berlingo x15

Toyota Corolla x20

Peugeot 308 x13

Peugeot 3008 x10

Toyota Hilux x5

Vauxhall Vivaro x15

Vauxhall Corsa x16 and Hyundai i30 x2 for pool cars

 

Once again, please see further below an explanation of some details that have been withheld in relation to this question.

 

Any related frameworks or suppliers if held.

All vehicles are procured from Crown Commercial Service framework or Bluelight Commercial Framework.

If available indicative retirement or replacement schedules for legacy models.

We intend to replace vehicles after 150,000 miles in all use categories however some are higher as we work through a backlog from Covid of vehicle unavailability.  Our focus this year is on prioritizing the replacement of frontline NPT and patrol vehicles.

The following information has been withheld and removed from the details provided above and within the attached fleet list:

 

• any information relating to any covert vehicles
• the number and details of all vehicles used by operationally sensitive departments
• The model and role or purpose of the vehicles
• The number of new vehicles procured in 2025 for operationally sensitive roles/departments

 

The exemption applicable to this is:

 

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

 

Section 31 is a qualified and prejudice based exemption which means there is a requirement to identify and evidence the harm that would be caused by disclosure and consideration given to the public interest which is below.

 

Harm

 

There are concerns associated with the release of any information that would identify the purpose of overt police vehicles, or that would identify any covert vehicles as law enforcement vehicles. The release of this information in relation to police vehicles and policing activities would equip individuals involved in criminal activity with an indication of our capabilities. This information, together with other information already in the public domain would assist those involved in criminal behaviour in identifying the vehicles that are used for specific purposes or covert operations. This would render them useless, hinder the prevention and detection of crime and could compromise ongoing and future enquiries.

 

The information held in relation to the model of our fleet vehicles includes the role. For certain specialist vehicles such as armed response vehicles (ARVs), disclosure of the model would reveal tactical resource information. Consideration has been given to providing the model for other vehicles; however, this would reveal tactical resource information of the remaining vehicles by omission.

 

Public Interest Test for Section 31(1)(a)(b)

 

Considerations favouring disclosure

Disclosure may add value to the accuracy of public debate with regards to resources allocated for the prevention and detection of crime.

 

Considerations favouring non-disclosure

The police Service has a duty to deliver effective law enforcement ensuring that the prevention and detection of crime, apprehension or prosecution of offenders and administration of justice is carried out appropriately.

 

Disclosing information that would allow the identification of vehicles within a specific unit could compromise the vehicle’s operational purpose and allow these to be targeted. Disclosure may reveal what resources are available for a given role and this information could enable police strength to be determined and circumvented by those intent on committing crime. The release of this information could therefore provide a tactical advantage to offenders which would negatively impact on public safety and undermine the policing purpose.

 

Disclosing the details of covert vehicles would provide sufficient information to those involved in criminal activity of the capabilities available to the force when carrying out covert activities in certain areas. Disclosures under the Freedom of Information Act are disclosures to the public as a whole, not just those who are requesting the information. Without questioning the motives of the applicant, it is a known fact that criminals could use information disclosed under this legislation to aid their criminal activity. This could result in them taking steps to evade detection and to destroy evidence if they believe that their movements are being monitored. This could also lead to vehicles and officers being identified which would render their covert capabilities useless.

 

Balance Test 

The ability to deliver effective law enforcement is of paramount importance. Whilst the value of transparency is recognised, there is no further tangible benefit to identifying covert operation or the role vehicles are attached to. This may be interesting to some individuals however this is as you will appreciate different to being in the public’s interest to know. To disclose this information concerning Police vehicles would have an adverse effect on our ability to prevent and detect crime. Therefore, on balance the factors favouring non-disclosure outweigh those favouring.

 

This serves as a partial refusal notice under section 17(1) of the FOI Act.