Properties Used by the Essex Police and Crime Commissioner
Keywords
Properties, Essex, Crime, Commissioner, Addresses, Joint, Ownership, PCC, Organisations, Neighbouring, Rented, Leased, Policing, Residential, Short-term, Rent, Paid, Deposits, Rental, Disposed, Buildings, Estate, Managed, Bases, Offices, Stations, PFCC, Asset, Portfolio, Percentage, Registered, Freehold, Leasehold, Houses, Lettings, Hirings, Facilities, Disposed.
Publication Number
PUB 1418
FOI Reference Number
16618
Request Title
Properties Used by the Essex Police and Crime Commissioner
Date Range
N/A
Information Requested
Please could you provide a full list of property owned by the Police and Crime Commissioner with addresses, could you please include details where joint ownership or similar agreement exists between the PCC and other organisations such as a neighbouring police force.
Please could you provide a full list of property rented or leased by the Police and Crime Commissioner with addresses, used for a policing purpose or residential use by your police force.
In the past 12 months has your force rented any properties on a short term basis and if so could you please provide details including rent paid and any deposits or similar provided as part of the rental or lease of the property.
During the same period has the PCC disposed of any buildings previously used for policing or in support of policing, if so please provide details of the building(s) disposed of.
Can you provide details of how buildings and estate are managed by the PCC on behalf of Policing within your force area.
For clarity when I refer to property I mean buildings such as bases, offices, police stations, or other buildings used in support of a policing purpose.
If the PCC does not own and manage property please could you forward this message to the relevant Police FOI contact for your force area.
Disclosure with Exemptions
Full Disclosure
Information Correct as at
02 March 2022
Date of Disclosure
09 March 2022
Related Documents/Links
FOI 16618 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 02 March 2022.
Please could you provide a full list of property owned by the Police and Crime Commissioner with addresses, could you please include details where joint ownership or similar agreement exists between the PCC and other organisations such as a neighbouring Police force.
Please see attached, details of the PFCC Asset portfolio dated 30 December 2021 and we can confirm there has been no changes since this issue. There are two properties that the Essex PFCC owns a percentage of with other forces, however, the Essex PFCC is not the registered owner of these properties and they are not contained within the attached list.
Please could you provide a full list of property rented or leased by the Police and Crime Commissioner with addresses, used for a policing purpose or residential use by your Police force.
The detail of whether the properties are freehold or leasehold are included within the attached list. Houses are not listed due to being occupied by serving officers, however, we can confirm there are 5 houses.
In the past 12 months has your force rented any properties on a short term basis and if so could you please provide details including rent paid and any deposits or similar provided as part of the rental or lease of the property.
There have been no additional properties leased within the last 12 months, this excludes lettings and hiring of facilities.
During the same period has the PCC disposed of any buildings previously used for policing or in support of policing, if so please provide details of the building(s) disposed of.
During the past 12 months the following properties have been disposed of:
Former Harlow Dog Kennels
Former Police House
Former Pitsea Police Station
Former Waltham Abbey Police Station
Former Police Authority Hoffmans Way
Former Police House
Former Limes Farm Police Office.
Further details of individual disposals are published on the PFCC web site - please see the below link:
Decision making 2019-2020 - Essex Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner (pfcc.police.uk)
Can you provide details of how buildings and estate are managed by the PCC on behalf of Policing within your force area.
The day to day management of buildings and estate are a delegated function to the Chief Constable of Essex, further detail can be found within the PFCC constitution - please see below link:
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex | Constitution
No further information will be provided by virtue of the following exemptions:
Section 24(1) – National Security
Section 31(1) – Law Enforcement
Section 38(1) - Health and Safety
Overall Harm
As you will be aware, any release under the FOIA is a disclosure to the world, not just to the individual making the request. Whilst not questioning the motives of the applicant, there are concerns with regards to disclosing locations that could be targeted for the purpose of disrupting general law enforcement activities and functions and harm those who visit/work at the locations.
The threat from terrorism cannot be ignored. It is generally recognised that the international security landscape is increasingly complex and unpredictable. Since 2006, the UK Government has published the threat level, based upon current intelligence and that threat is currently categorised as ‘substantial’, see below link:
The UK continues to face a sustained threat from violent extremists and terrorists. It is well established that Police forces use covert tactics and surveillance to gain intelligence in order to counteract criminal behaviour. It has been previously documented in the media that many terrorist incidents have been thwarted due to intelligence gained by these means.
Any information identifying the focus of policing activity could be used to the advantage of terrorists or criminal organisations. Information that undermines the operational integrity of these activities will adversely affect public safety and have a negative impact on both National Security and Law Enforcement.
Public Interest Considerations
Factors favouring disclosure of information for Section 24
The public are entitled to know how public funds are spent and by disclosing this information the public would be able to see where money is being spent and know that Essex Police is safeguarding those working for the Police Service and members of the public.
Factors against disclosure of information Section 24
To release further information in relation to properties owned or utilised by the Police and their locations would undermine policing capabilities which would consequently be detrimental to our ability to deal with the ongoing terrorist threat we face. Taking into account the current security climate within the United Kingdom, there should be no information released that may aid criminals/terrorists and their activities. To what extent the release of information may aid a criminal/terrorist is unknown, but it is clear that it will have an impact on a force’s ability to monitor criminal/terrorist activity if the Essex Police estate was to be compromised.
The public entrust the Police Service to make appropriate decisions with regard to their safety and protection and those working for the Police Service. The only way of reducing risk is to be cautious with what is placed into the public domain.
The cumulative effect of criminals/terrorists gathering information from various sources would build a picture of vulnerabilities within certain scenarios. The more information placed in the public domain over time, will provide a more detailed account of the tactical infrastructure of not only a force area but also the country as a whole
Any incident which results from such a disclosure would by default affect National Security.
Factors favouring disclosure of information for Section 31
Providing the requested information would lead to a better informed public demonstrating that Essex Police take the security of their estate seriously.
Factors against disclosure of information Section 31
Having properties in locations that are not in the public domain allows for certain policing activities to be carried out with the minimal possibility of being observed. Disclosing the locations of those properties would allow criminals to determine where those activities are being carried out. Criminals could, therefore, observe them in order to gain intelligence which could aid criminal activity by ascertaining when they perceive to be less likely to be detected and to undermine the policing activities at those locations.
Essex Police has a duty of care to the community at large and public safety is of paramount importance. If an FOI disclosure were to reveal information to the world, it would not only compromise and undermine the security of the national infrastructure, the effective delivery of operational law enforcement would also be undermined as offenders, including terrorist organisations, could use this knowledge to their advantage which would compromise public safety and more worryingly encourage offenders to carry our further crimes.
Factors favouring disclosure of information for Section 38
The disclosure of the information would lead to better informed public awareness of how Essex Police take the security of their estate seriously.
Factors against disclosure of information Section 38
The disclosure of information could place those working for the Police Service or individuals frequenting those locations at risk. The individuals who work at these locations could be identified as being involved in policing activities. This could put them in danger of being targeted by criminals whilst carrying out those activities.
Balancing Test
The points above highlight the merits of not disclosing information pertinent to this request. The Police Service is charged with enforcing the law, preventing and detecting crime and protecting the communities we serve.
Whilst there is a general public interest in being open and transparent about how and where public money is spent and the services that we provide, there is a greater public interest in protecting our policing abilities, nation security and the health and safety of individuals. No information will be released into the public domain if to do so would undermine our capabilities. The Police Service has a responsibility to its staff and the communities we serve and, therefore, it is for the reasons outlined above that it is decided that the public interest weighs in favour of non-disclosure.