Freedom of Information
Date published: 18 April 2018 12:51The Freedom of Information Act gives you a right to access information held by public authorities, including South Yorkshire Police, with the purpose of making organisations more accountable and transparent.
Frequently asked questions about FOI.
Responding to requests
We will endeavour to comply with all requests for copies of recorded information made under the Freedom of Information Act, within the stipulated 20 working days, subject to exemptions applying under the Act.
What to do when making a request
We receive approximately 800 requests a year, so we may already have the answer to your question. Check our disclosure log which shows all requests we have disclosed since 29 May 2009.
If a topic is of significant public interest, you may find it on our dedicated 'Categories of significant interest' page.
If you require copies of information about yourself, you will need to make a Subject Access request.
If none of the above applies, please submit an Freedom of Information request.
Publication Scheme
In addition to the general right of access given to individuals under the Freedom of Information Act, public authorities are required to adopt, implement and maintain a Publication Scheme, which is based on classes of information that have been defined by the Information Commissioner.
This Publication Scheme commits an authority to make information available to the public as part of its normal business activities and is designed to inform members of the public about the certain types of information that we publish or intend to publish under the generic class headings which are listed.
Publication Schemes are intended to encourage organisations to publish more information proactively and to develop a greater culture of openness.
Information classes:
- Who we are and what we do
- What we spend and how we spend it
- What our priorities are and how we are doing
- How we make decisions
- Our policies and procedures
- How we use personal data
- Lists and Registers
- Services provided by the police force
If you require a hard copy of any document contained in the Publication Scheme, please apply in writing to:
South Yorkshire Police
Information Compliance Unit
Professional Standards Department
Unit 20 Sheffield 35A Business Park
Churchill Way
Sheffield
S35 2PY
Or by sending an e-mail to foi@southyorks.pnn.police.uk.
When requesting hard copies of Information included in this scheme, please include:
- Your name and address
- The information or documents you require
- And if possible a contact telephone number should we need to clarify what your require.