Chief Constable Cleveland Police

The complainant requested information in respect of Operation Magnolia, Operation Sacristy, Operation Pandect and its associated operations. Cleveland Police originally informed the complainant that with the exception of Operation Magnolia, it did not hold relevant information. Following a request for an internal review, Cleveland Police informed the complainant that it was likely that it did hold relevant information and confirmed that it would contact them again following a thorough search of its records. After a considerable delay, Cleveland Police sent its amended response to the complainant with a breakdown of some of the information relevant to their request.  The Commissioner’s decision is that Cleveland Police has failed to demonstrate that it has conducted a reasonable and proportionate search of its records to identify all information falling within the scope of the request. The Commissioner requires Cleveland Police to take the following steps to ensure compliance with the legislation.Conduct a fresh search for the requested information in respect of all specified Operations and either disclose the information or cite an appropriate refusal notice which complies with section 17 of the FOIA.