FOI 26/27 – 016: ASB Hotspot Initiative

Freedom of information request

I am requesting information relating to the hotspot policing initiative announced for Cleveland Police covering the period July 2025 to March 2026. Specifically, I request:

1. The locations of the 36 hotspot patrol areas, including the geographic boundaries used (for example, one-square-kilometre grids, polygons, or other mapped patrol areas), or any equivalent spatial information identifying where the additional patrols were conducted.
2. The dates and times during which additional hotspot patrols were deployed in each hotspot area, including, where available: the date of each patrol; the start and end time (or duration) of each patrol; and the corresponding hotspot identifier or location.
3. If available, the total number of patrol hours delivered within each hotspot area by week or month.

If disclosure of precise operational details is considered exempt under the Act, I would be grateful if you could provide the information in a suitably redacted or aggregated form (for example, by hotspot identifier, week, or month) rather than refusing the request in full.

Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner response

I have considered whether the information you have requested can be disclosed and have determined that details relating to precise hotspot locations and boundaries, along with patrol deployment records showing specific dates, times and duration of patrol activity, is exempt from disclosure under Section 31(1)(a) and (b) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. This is a qualified exemption and is subject to a public interest test. However as per your request, we have provided information in an aggregated format, the table below shows hotspot locations by ward and total hotspot patrol hours.

Although I understand full disclosure would promote transparency, I would argue that it compromises operational tactics and would ultimately compromise public safety. Disclosure of precise operational hotspot locations and boundaries along with specific dates and timing is likely to prejudice operational policing activities by exposing tactical patterns and allowing offenders to evade future police deployment.

This would compromise both the prevention of localised crime and the ability for Cleveland Police to apprehend individuals engaged in criminal activity.

Patrol hours = number of officers x time on patrol