Wheelchair adapted police vehicles (FOI)

Request

A

Please could the Police provide an update on all the vehicles it has and uses for everyday tasks. Also please provide the costs of all vehicles.

B

How many wheelchair friendly vehicles are in its fleet?

C

Are Police Officers trained with loading wheelchair users into its vehicles?

D

Can the police arrest a person with a disability and is the Police Headquarters equipped to accommodate a wheelchair user in its custody suite?

E

How many wheelchairs users were detained in 2018 and for what offences?

F

How many non-disabled person have been detained in 2018 and for what offences?

Response

A

The States of Jersey Police currently operate 49 vehicles. 29 cars, 18 vans and two motorcycles. In line with previous Freedom of Information responses, the cost of vehicles is commercially sensitive and at the request of the suppliers, the provision of this information is declined.

B

There are no police vehicles specifically adapted for wheelchair transport (tailgate lifts for example) however, the larger prisoner transport vans can accommodate a wheelchair if necessary. The police can also call on other Blue light partners for assistance.

C

All police officers receive manual handling training although not specifically wheelchair management.

D

People with disability are not exempt from arrest. The new police station has full disabled access and facilities, including in the custody area.

E

In 2018, two people who rely on wheelchairs have been dealt with in police custody. No details of the offences alleged will be given as this may help identify those individuals to a section of the public.

F

There have been over 2,900 custody records opened in 2018, some of which were individuals returning for further questioning. The States of Jersey police annual report will give details of the type of offence individuals were arrested for.

States of Jersey Police: Force publications

Articles applied

Article 25 Personal information

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018.

(2) Information is absolutely exempt information if –

(a) it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is not the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018; and

(b) its supply to a member of the public would contravene any of the data protection principles, as defined in that Law.

Article 33 Commercial interests

Information is qualified exempt information if –

(a) it constitutes a trade secret; or

(b) its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of a person (including the scheduled public authority holding the information).

Public interest test

While it is in the public interest to be sure public money is being spent wisely, the public can be reassured that the measures put in place by the States of Jersey Government, ensure all contract purchases follow the States policy and must achieve the best value for money.

Vehicle manufacturers will generally offer substantial discounts to the emergency services, on the retail price of their vehicles. To reveal the actual cost may prompt customer dissatisfaction to the detriment of the commercial interests of the companies.

This argument has been challenged successfully in the UK where it was deemed that the cost of a vehicle paid for by a local police force, would not have a detrimental effect on the national customer satisfaction as the population in one part of the country would not necessarily be influenced by prices in another part. Jersey is a small jurisdiction with single suppliers of various makes of vehicle. The effect of the release of such information is such a small jurisdiction, would be far greater than the release in the UK. The public interest test therefore falls on the side of the retention of confidentiality for commercial purposes.