In addition to the general right of access given to individuals under the Freedom of Information Act, public authorities are obliged to adopt, implement, operate and maintain a publication scheme which is based on classes of information that have been defined by the Information Commissioner.
The publication scheme commits an authority to make information available to the public as part of its normal business activities and is designed to inform members of the public about certain types of information that the constabulary publishes or intends to publish under the generic class headings which are listed.
Hampshire Constabulary has also adopted the minimum standards laid down by the Association of Chief Police Officers in respect of each class of information. Please note, however, that the classes of information will not generally include:
- Information the disclosure of which is prevented by law, or exempt under the Freedom of Information Act, or is otherwise properly considered to be protected from disclosure.
- Information in draft form.
- Information that is no longer readily available as it is contained in files.
Who we are and what we do
ICO Definition: Organisational information, locations and contacts, constitutional and legal governance.
Cost: Free of charge
Hampshire Constabulary will provide details of the force's organisational structure, profiles of senior personnel, locations and opening hours of police stations, contact details, information about relationships with other authorities, arrangements for special constables and civilian volunteers and sponsorship arrangements with businesses.
Click here for more information.
What we spend and how we spend it
ICO Definition: Financial information relating to projected and actual income and expenditure, tendering, procurement and contracts.
Cost: Free of charge
Hampshire Constabulary will provide details of its annual statements of accounts and budgetary information, its procurement procedures and details of current contracts and tendering opportunities, expenses incurred by chief officers and information about financial support for PCSOs.
Click here for more information.
Click here for Chief Officers expenses
What our priorities are and how we are doing
ICO Definition: Strategy and performance information, plans, assessments, inspections and reviews.
Cost: Free of charge
Hampshire Constabulary will publish its strategic plan, annual policing plan, area policing plan, police force statistics, its neighbourhood policing arrangements, reports from independent custody visitors and stop and account/stop and search information.
Click here for more information.
How we make decisions
ICO Definition: Policy proposals and decisions. Decision making processes, internal criteria and procedures, consultations.
Cost: Free of charge
The force will publish 'open' session ratified minutes of formal force level decision-making meetings. These will include ACPO executive meetings and senior management team meetings at OCU and departmental level.
Click here for more information.
Our policies and procedures
ICO Definition: Current written protocols for delivering our functions and responsibilities.
Cost: Free of charge
All Hampshire Constabulary policies will be published under this class of information. These provide statements of principle providing guidance and direction to staff. These will include the force's records management and personal data policies. Where procedures do not contain sensitive information that may be legitimately exempted under the Freedom of Information Act, these will also be published.
Click here for more information.
In addition, the force will provide access to its customer service standards and complaint procedures, charging regime and cost recovery policy.
Lists and registers
ICO Definition: Information held in registers required by law and other lists and registers relating to the functions of the authority.
Cost: Free of charge
Information held in registers required by law and other lists and registers relating to the functions of the authority.
Under this class of information, Hampshire Constabulary will publish its register of business interests, register of gifts and hospitality provided to ACPO-rank police officers and police staff and its FOI disclosure log.
Services provided by the police force
ICO Definition: Advice and guidance, booklets and leaflets, transactions and media releases. A description of services offered.
Cost: A charge will be levied for information in this class of information where indicated.
Advice and guidance, booklets and leaflets, transactions and media releases. A description of the services offered.
Hampshire Constabulary will publish advice and guidance to the general public in this class, including firearms licensing advice, abnormal loads escort, key holder services, ceremonial duties, local campaigns, media releases and details of services for which police force is entitled to charge a fee (where the constabulary levies a charge under its normal business processes for certain types of information).
Charges may be made for actual disbursements incurred such as:
- photocopying
- postage and packaging
- the costs directly incurred as a result of viewing information
In providing this information, Hampshire Constabulary is following the new model publication scheme that has been approved by the Information Commissioner for introduction as of January 1, 2009.
Guide to published information
To fulfill its obligation, Hampshire Constabulary has produced a comprehensive guide to the information it is published under each of the Information Classes listed above, how it is making the information available and whether there is any charge for the information:
Click here for more information.
Additional information published by the Information Commissioner provides further details that are relevant.
Proactive disclosure of information
Hampshire Constabulary publishes certain categories of information that are regularly requested on an annual basis. These include:
- Annual cost of translators/interpreters (2000 - present)
- Business interests register (July 2002 - present)
- Vehicle fleet information
- Police Vehicle Incident (PVI) information
- Officer conviction information
- Roads policing enforcement information
- Information about use of taser
- Historical beat level crime statistics
Significant public interest categories
In addition to the classes defined above, Hampshire Constabulary is also committed to publish information of interest under the following categories.
Proactive disclosure of information
In this section we will be publishing the categories of information which are most frequently requested under FOI. If the information you seek is contained within this section, it will remove the need for you to submit a request.
Disclosure logs
The disclosure logs provides details of all Freedom of Information requests received under FOI by Hampshire Constabulary since 2005 to date.
- Disclosure Log 2012 section
- Disclosure Log 2011 section
- Disclosure Log 2010 section
- Disclosure Log 2009 section
Statistical information relating to the numbers of FOI requests received by the force for 2005, 2006, 2007 & 2008.