February 10, 2025 | Incident and Crime Statistics , Hate Crime and Equality
Request: FOI/00013572
Category: Incident and Crime Statistics - Hate Crime and Equality
Subject: Non-crime Hate Incidents 2009-2024
Your request for information has now been considered. In respect of Section 1(1)(a) of the Act we can confirm that the Police Service of Northern Ireland does hold information to which your request relates. The decision has been taken not to supply the information you have requested and the reasons for this are set out in more detail below. We have also provided you with links to guidance issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office which we have followed in responding to your request.
Request
Under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please provide the following details:
The number of non-crime hate incidents recorded by the police force every year, and by year, from 2009 to 2024.
Answer
Section 17(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires the Police Service of Northern Ireland, when refusing to provide such information (because the information is exempt) to provide you the applicant with a notice which:
- states that fact,
- specifies the exemption in question and
- states (if not otherwise apparent) why the exemption applies.
The full text of exemptions can be found at www.legislation.gov.uk and further guidance on how they operate can be located on the Information Commissioners Office website www.ico.org.uk.
The exemption/s, as well as the factors the Department considered when deciding where the public interest lies, are listed below:
Section 21 - Information Reasonably Accessible by Other Means
Section 22 – Information Intended for Future Publication
Section 21
The number of hate motivated incidents where no crime was recorded, by financial year, is published in our annual Trends in Hate Motivated Incidents and Crimes bulletin. Additionally, we provide information on the number of hate motivated incidents where no crime was recorded for the race, sexual orientation and sectarian strands in our quarterly Hate Motivated Incidents and Crimes bulletins.
The next bulletin, covering the 12 months up to 31st December 2024, will be published on 27th February 2025.
These bulletins are published on the PSNI website:
https://www.psni.police.uk/about-us/our-publications-and-reports/official-statistics/hate-motivation-statistics
Section 22
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 22 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 it has been decided to refuse access to the information you have requested. Under Section 22 (1) of the Act the Police
Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is not obliged to disclose information that is held with a view to its publication at some future date.
We are exempting data from the 12 months up to 31st December 2024, as the data required to answer the remainder of this request will be published on 27th February 2025.
Section 22 is a qualified exemption so therefore the PSNI is obliged to carry out a Public Interest
Test.
Public Interest Test
Factors Favouring Release
Disclosure would demonstrate PSNI’s openness and transparency.
Factors Favouring Retention
The spending of additional funds in order to facilitate this FOI request would not be in the public interest as this information is due to be released in the near future.
Decision
There needs to be a real and valid reason which identifies a tangible benefit to the public from disclosure of information. As the information is intended to be published at a future date, this year, it is reasonable to exempt it as publication is imminent.