Wildlife Crime

Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FIN/24/002521/W

 Version Date: 19/11/2024

The Performance Analysis Department and Neighhourhood Policing have provided the following information.

I am only requesting data from 1 August 2023 until receipt date of FOI request.

1, Currently how many recognised wildlife trained full time Police officers do you have in your force? Date of FOI request receipt.

16 PC’s, 1 who is part way through training and 4 PCSO’s.

2, How many of these officers have undertaken College of Policing recognised training? Date of FOI request receipt.

All were trained via National Wildlife Crime Unit which is recognised by the College of Policing.

3, Who was the service provider.

National Wildlife Crime Unit

4, How many of these officers are full time Wildlife crime officers. Date of FOI request receipt.

None.

5, How many wildlife incidents that have been reported to your force would fit the recording status below if they had notifiable status under Home Office counting rules?
Section 1 of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 Section 2 of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 Section 3 of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 Section 1 of Wild Mammals Protection Act 1996 Section 1 of Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Section 5 of Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Section 9 of Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Section 11 of Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Section 30 of Game Act 1831 Section 5 of the Hunting Act 2004 Section 4 of Animal Welfare Act 2006 Section 8 of Animal Welfare Act 2006 Schedule 1 of Theft Act 1968 Section 27a of Salmon & Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 Section 1 of Deer Act 1991 Section 2 of Deer Act 1991 Section 3 of Deer Act 1991 Section 1 of the Hunting Act 2004 Section 1 of the Night Poaching Act 1828 Section 18 of Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Section 9(4A) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Section 28P of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 Regulation 43 Conservation of Habitats and Species Regs 2017 Regulation 54 Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017

6, How many wildlife incidents below have been recorded as below?
Section 1 of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 Section 2 of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 Section 3 of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 Section 1 of Wild Mammals Protection Act 1996 Section 1 of Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Section 5 of Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Section 9 of Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Section 11 of Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Section 30 of Game Act 1831 Section 5 of the Hunting Act 2004 Section 4 of Animal Welfare Act 2006 Section 8 of Animal Welfare Act 2006 Schedule 1 of Theft Act 1968 Section 27a of Salmon & Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 Section 1 of Deer Act 1991 Section 2 of Deer Act 1991 Section 3 of Deer Act 1991 Section 1 of the Hunting Act 2004 Section 1 of the Night Poaching Act 1828 Section 18 of Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Section 9(4A) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Section 28P of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 Regulation 43 Conservation of Habitats and Species Regs 2017 Regulation 54 Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017

The Performance & Analysis Department have confirmed that crimes are not recorded by their Acts so searches have been completed based on their SC Description and then filtered on all the following:

• Ill treatment of a badger (recordable);
• Use a firearm to kill or take a badger or badgers (recordable);
• Use tongs to kill / take / attempt to kill / take badger (recordable);
• Wilfully kill a badger (recordable);Wilfully injuring a badger (recordable);
• Wilfully taking a badger (recordable);Interfering with badger setts (recordable);
• Inflicting unnecessary suffering to a wild mammal (recordable);
• Injure a non-Schedule 1 wild bird (recordable);
• Injure a Schedule 1 wild bird (recordable);
• Kill a non-Schedule 1 wild bird (recordable);
• Killing a Schedule 1 wild bird (recordable);
• Use weapon to kill / take a wild bird (recordable);
• Use trap to kill or take a wild bird (recordable);
• Use decoy to kill or take a wild bird (recordable);
• Take a Schedule 1 wild bird (recordable);
• Take a non-Schedule 1 wild bird (recordable);
• Set trap / gin / snare etc to cause injury to wild bird (recordable);
• Permit to be set trap etc - cause injury to wild bird (recordable);
• Permit use of a trap / snare etc to kill / take a wild bird (recordable);
• Permit use of a vehicle to kill / take a wild bird (recordable);
• Permit use of a weapon to kill / take a wild bird (recordable);
• Permit use of decoy to kill / take wild bird (recordable);
• Cause to be set trap etc to cause injury to wild bird (recordable);
• Cause use of a trap / snare etc to kill / take a wild bird (recordable);
• Cause use of a vehicle to kill / take a wild bird (recordable);
• Cause use of a weapon to kill / take a wild bird (recordable);
• Cause use of decoy to kill / take wild bird (recordable);
• Capture / injure / kill a wild animal of a European protected species (recordable);
• Cause setting of a snare to injure a wild animal (recordable);
• Cause setting of trap to injure Schedule 6 wild animal (recordable);
• Cause use of decoy to kill / take Schedule 6 wild animal (recordable);
• Cause use of decoy to kill / take wild animal (recordable);
• Cause use of snare / weapon to kill / take wild animal (recordable);
• Cause use of trap to kill / take Schedule 6 wild animal (recordable);
• Cause use of vehicle to kill / take Schedule 6 wild animal (recordable);
• Cause use of weapon to kill / take Schedule 6 wild animal (recordable);
• Injure a Schedule 5 wild animal (recordable);
• Kill a Schedule 5 wild animal (recordable);
• Knowingly cause / permit setting of electrical device or substance to injure Schedule 6 wild animal (recordable);
• Knowingly cause / permit setting of trap / snare to injure Schedule 6 or Schedule 6ZA wild animal (recordable);
• Knowingly cause / permit use device / substance / net / weapon / decoy / vehicle to kill / take Schedule 6 wild animal (recordable);
• Knowingly cause / permit use of trap / snare to kill / take / restrain a Schedule 6 or Schedule 6ZA wild animal (recordable);
• Knowingly cause / permit use of vehicle to drive Schedule 6 wild animal (recordable);Permit setting of a snare to injure a wild animal (recordable);
• Permit setting of trap to injure Schedule 6 wild animal (recordable);
• Permit use of decoy to kill / take Schedule 6 wild animal (recordable);
• Permit use of decoy to kill / take wild animal (recordable);
• Permit use of snare / weapon to kill / take wild animal (recordable);
• Permit use of trap to kill / take Schedule 6 wild animal (recordable);
• Permit use of vehicle to kill / take Schedule 6 wild animal (recordable);
• Permit use of weapon to kill / take Schedule 6 wild animal (recordable);
• Set a trap / snare to cause injury to a Schedule 6 or Schedule 6ZA wild animal (recordable);
• Set a trap to cause injury to a Schedule 6 wild animal (recordable);
• Set an electrical device or substance to cause injury to a Schedule 6 wild animal (recordable);
• Set snare to cause injury to wild animal (recordable);Take a Schedule 5 wild animal (recordable);
• Use decoy to kill / take a wild animal (recordable);
• Use decoy to kill / take Schedule 6 wild animal (recordable);
• Use electrical device / substance / net / weapon / decoy / vehicle to kill / take a Schedule 6 wild animal (recordable);
• Use snare / weapon to kill / take wild animal (recordable);
• Use trap / snare to kill / take / restrain Schedule 6 or Schedule 6ZA wild animal (recordable);
• Use trap to kill / take Schedule 6 wild animal (recordable);
• Use vehicle to drive Schedule 6 wild animal (recordable);
• Use vehicle to kill / take Schedule 6 wild animal (recordable);
• Use weapon to kill / take a Schedule 6 wild animal (recordable);
• Daytime trespass in pursuit of game - poaching (recordable);
• Participate in a hare coursing event;
• Knowingly facilitate a hare coursing event - Hunting Act 2004;
• Permit land to be used for the purposes of a hare coursing event - Hunting Act 2004;
• Permit dog to be entered in hare coursing event - Hunting Act 2004;
• Enter dog in a hare coursing event - Hunting Act 2004;
• Attend a hare coursing event - Hunting Act 2004;
• Control / handle dog in the course of / for the purposes of a hare coursing event - Hunting Act 2004;
• Cause unnecessary suffering to a protected animal - Animal Welfare Act 2006 (recordable);
• Be present at an animal fight - Animal Welfare Act 2006 (recordable);
• Cause / attempt to cause an animal fight to take place - Animal Welfare Act 2006 (recordable);
• Keep / train an animal for use in connection with an animal fight - Animal Welfare Act 2006 (recordable);
• Keep premises for use for an animal fight - Animal Welfare Act 2006 (recordable);
• Knowingly publicise a proposed animal fight - Animal Welfare Act 2006 (recordable);
• Knowingly publish a video recording of an animal fight - Animal Welfare Act 2006 - NOT YET IN FORCE (recordable);
• Knowingly receive money for admission to an animal fight - Animal Welfare Act 2006 (recordable);
• Knowingly show a video recording of an animal fight - Animal Welfare Act 2006 - NOT YET IN FORCE (recordable);
• Knowingly supply a video recording of an animal fight - Animal Welfare Act 2006 NOT YET IN FORCE (recordable);
• Make / accept bet on result of animal fight / likelihood of anything occurring / not occurring - Animal Welfare Act 2006 (recordable);
• Permit premises to be used for animal fighting / baiting (recordable);
• Possess thing designed / adapted for use in connection with an animal fight w/i of it being used (recordable);
• Possess video recording of an animal fight with intent to supply - Animal Welfare Act 2006 - NOT YET IN FORCE (recordable);
• Provide information re an animal fight to another with intent to enable / encourage attendance (recordable);
• Take part in an animal fight - Animal Welfare Act 2006 (recordable);
• Kill a deer at night (recordable);Kill a deer during the close season (recordable);
• Take a deer at night (recordable);
• Take a deer during the close season (recordable);
• Fish / take fish without a licence with a rod and line;
• Fish / take fish by other than licensable means in circumstances where fish / taking may be authorised;
• Fish / take fish by other than licensable means in circumstances where not authorised to fish / take fish;
• Fish / take fish without a licence with an instrument other than a rod and line (recordable);
• Take fish - angling in the daytime;
• Take fish - other than angling in the daytime (recordable);
• Use explosive / poison / electricity to take fish (recordable);
• Hunting a wild mammal with dogs - Hunting Act 2004;
• Attempt take / destroy fish - angling in the daytime;
• Attempt to fish / take fish without a licence with an instrument other than a rod and line (recordable);
• Attempt to take / kill / injure unclean / immature fish;
• Destroy fish - angling in the daytime;
• Destroy / damage sluice etc to take / destroy fish (recordable);
• Destroy fish - other than angling in daytime (recordable);
• Take / kill / injure unclean / immature fish;
• Use prohibited means to capture / kill a Schedule 4 / European protected species fish (recordable);
• Daytime trespass by five or more in pursuit of game (recordable);
• Trespass on land at night and take / destroy game (recordable);
• Attempt to capture / injure / kill a wild animal of a European protected species (recordable);
• Damage / destroy Schedule 5 wild animal shelter (recordable);
• Contravene / fail to comply with temporary measures re introduction of plants from another part of Union Territory;
• Contravene / fail to comply with temporary measures applying to the introduction of plants etc from third countries;
• Make false statement / supply document / info to obtain licence re animals / plants / introduction of new species (recordable);
• Damage / disturb site of special scientific interest;
• Damage site of special scientific interest without minimising the damage / restoring the site (recordable);
• Perform operation to damage site of special scientific interest;
• Wildlife - damage site of special scientific interest without notice (recordable);
• Attempt to damage / destroy a breeding site / resting place of a wild animal of a European protected species (recordable);
• Attempt to disturb a wild animal of a European protected species (recordable);
• Attempt to take / destroy the eggs of a wild animal of a European protected species (recordable);
• Damage / destroy a breeding site / resting place of a wild animal of a european protected species (recordable);
• Damage / destroy a breeding site / resting place of European protected species wild animal (recordable);
• Disturb a wild animal of a European protected species (recordable);
• Disturb European protected wild animal to affect breeding / abundance (recordable);
• Take / destroy eggs of a wild animal of a European protected species (recordable);
• Take / destroy the eggs a wild animal of a european protected species (recordable);
• Take / destroy the eggs of a wild animal of a European protected species (recordable);
• Use a prohibited means to capture / kill a Schedule 4 / European protected species animal (recordable);
• Use a reg 43(3) or (5) prohibited means to capture / kill a Sch 4 / European protected species animal (recordable);
• Use a reg 43(4) prohibited means to capture / kill a Sch 4 / European protected species fish (recordable)

The results are as follows:

7, How many wildlife incident/crime reports have your force received that have been recorded as “generic/other” (Not to include Livestock Attacks)

No information held.

A crime would not be recorded as ‘generic/other’.

8, How many Livestock Attacks has your force received in the time range.

The table below is from the Niche Crime Universe and shows occurrences with the SC Description of one of the following:

• Set on / urge dog or other animal to attack / worry / put in fear a person / horse / other animal;
• Owner of a dog worrying livestock;
• Person in charge of a dog worrying livestock

Or

• An occurrence summary containing the word ‘livestock’

9, How many of these “generic/other” wildlife incident/crime incidents have resulted in No Further Action by police.

10, How many of these “generic/other” wildlife incident/crime incidents have resulted in a Local resolution.

11, How many of these “generic/other” wildlife incident/crime incidents have resulted in a Conditional Caution.

12. How many of these “generic/other” wildlife incident/crime incidents have resulted in a charge.
    
    

No information held for questions 9 – 12.