Chief Constable Greater Manchester Police

The complainant has requested information connected to property taken from the premises of a deceased person, from Greater Manchester Police (GMP). GMP initially refused to confirm or deny whether any information was held, citing section 38(2) (Health and safety) of FOIA. During the Commissioner’s investigation GMP revised its position, citing section 40(2) (Personal information) and saying some information was not held; it also recognised that some of the request was for the complainant’s own personal data (it provided advice on how to properly request this). 
The Commissioner’s decision is that GMP breached sections 1(1) (General right of access) and 10(1) (Time for compliance) in failing to respond to the request until after 20 working days had elapsed. Furthermore, he finds that GMP failed to comply with section 1 of FOIA in that it did not advise what information was held and did not undertake adequate searches. 
GMP is required to disclose the Electronic Property Management System log, with any officer names redacted; disclose the email chain from the attending officer, with any officer names redacted; search the relevant CAD and disclose property-related information only, if held, redacting officer names. If any related content is deemed exempt from disclosure a refusal notice should be issued complaint with section 17 of FOIA.

GMP wish it to be recorded that an attempt at informal resolution was pursued with the complainant, outside of the FOI Process and as encouraged by the ICO, prior to the formal ICO investigation being commenced and also once the investigation was under way. GMP was in direct communication with the complainant throughout its concurrent conversations with the ICO. GMP would also like to add that access to the CAD was never denied by the organisation or by any specific individual. The necessary enquiries were made within the organisation to ascertain whether the CAD was held. GMP informed the ICO that the CAD could not be supplied because GMP does not hold one. GMP has no such record called a Computer Aided Dispatch.