Drug Driver Samples - Forensic Analysis 2019 to 2021
Keywords
Calendar, Year, Suspected, Drug, Drive, Blood, Urine, Samples, Forensic, Analysis, Resulted, Results, Retuned, Six, Months, After, Arrest, Date, Sent, Average, Turnaround, Lab, Submissions, Days, National, Cap, Quotas.
Publication Number
PUB 1262
FOI Reference Number
16124
Request Title
Drug Driver Samples - Forensic Analysis
Date Range
2019 to 2021
Information Requested
I would like to make a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act.
I would like to know:
a) how many suspected drug drive blood or urine samples were sent for forensic analysis by your force over the last 3 years? (3 years being: 01/01/19-31/12/19, 01/01/20-31/12/20 and 01/01/21-13/09/21).
b) Of that figure, how many results if any, were returned six months after of the arrest date?
c) What was the average length of time for results to be returned in the last 3 years?
I am seeking to better understand if pressures within forensics are preventing drug drivers from being brought before the criminal justice system and so this information would be helpful.
Disclosure with Exemptions
Full Disclosure
Information Correct as at
23 September 2021
Date of Disclosure
06 October 2021
Related Documents/Links
N/A
FOI 16124 Response
Having completed enquiries within Essex Police in respect of Section 1(1)(a), Essex Police does hold information relating to your request, Essex Police can confirm in respect of Section 1(1)(b) the following data:
Caveat: The data is correct as at 23 September 2021.
a) how many suspected drug drive blood or urine samples were sent for forensic analysis by your force over the last 3 years? (3 years being: 01/01/19-31/12/19, 01/01/20-31/12/20 and 01/01/21-13/09/21).
Essex Police sent 5690 samples for analysis during this period.
b) Of that figure, how many results if any, were returned 6 months after of the arrest date?
9 results were returned 6 months after the arrest date.
c) What was the average length of time for results to be returned in the last 3 years?
The average turnaround time from lab submission to result was 75 days*.
*There is an in-Force on-hold process due to National Submission cap quotas and samples spend additional time on-hold before lab submission.
Every effort is made to ensure that the data provided by Essex Police is accurate and complete. However, Essex Police systems are designed primarily for the management of individual cases and not for the purposes of providing data to answer specific FOI enquiries. Please note although data can be extracted from a number of sources via database queries, the results may be subject to inaccuracies. Care should be taken to understand our return when considering the interpretation or further use of the data.