Provision of information held by Northumbria Police made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the 'Act')
As you may be aware the purpose of the Act is to allow a general right of access to information held at the time of a request, by a Public Authority (including the Police), subject to certain limitations and exemptions.
You asked:
1 The number of a) arrests and b) charges made by the force under the Vagrancy Act 1824 in each of the last five calendar years (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and so far in 2020), broken down by offence.
I am not seeking information on the prostitution and indecency clauses of Section 3; accordingly, please break down charges and arrests for the following Section 3 offences if possible:
- Wandering abroad to beg or gather alms
- Placing self in public place to beg
- Procuring child to beg
- Person other than prostitute being idle and disorderly
- Causing child to beg
- Collecting alms or endeavouring to procure charitable contribution by false pretence
- Wandering abroad and exposing wound or deformity to obtain alms
- Persistently beg
- Sleeping out
2 The number of individuals arrested under the Vagrancy Act 1824 in each of the last five calendar years (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and so far in 2020) who:
a Were listed as having no fixed abode / no fixed address
b Were subsequently charged with an offence
c Were issued a fine
3 Please provide the amount of each fine given for offences under the Vagrancy Act 1824 in the last five calendar years (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and so far in 2020).
In Response:
Following receipt of your request, searches were conducted within Northumbria Police. I can confirm that the information you have requested is held by Northumbria Police.
I am able to disclose the located information to you as follows with the caveats below noted.
The initial set of offence descriptions provided do not relate to the offence descriptions as listed under the Vagrancy Act.
Data has been gathered based on the descriptors provided alongside the initial offence descriptions.
1
|
Year |
Offence |
Count |
|
2016 |
Begging, wandering abroad or being in any street etc; begging or gathering alms or causing or procuring any child so to do |
13 |
|
2017 |
Begging, wandering abroad or being in any street etc; begging or gathering alms or causing or procuring any child so to do |
15 |
|
|
Breach of civil injunction - arrest |
1 |
|
2018 |
Begging, wandering abroad or being in any street etc; begging or gathering alms or causing or procuring any child so to do |
5 |
|
2019 |
Begging, wandering abroad or being in any street etc; begging or gathering alms or causing or procuring any child so to do |
4 |
|
2020 |
Begging, wandering abroad or being in any street etc; begging or gathering alms or causing or procuring any child so to do |
2 |
2
| No Fixed Abode | Charge | |
| 2017 | 2 | 2 |
| 2018 | 5 | 5 |
| 2018 | 3 | 3 |
2c & 3
|
|
Fine |
|
2016 |
£25.00 |
|
|
£25.00 |
|
|
£20.00 |
|
|
£50.00 |
|
|
|
|
2017 |
£60.00 |
|
|
£20.00 |
|
|
£60.00 |
|
|
|
|
2018 |
£40.00 |
|
|
£40.00 |
|
|
|
|
2019 |
NIL |
|
|
|
|
2020 |
£40.00 |
Above is fine only and does not include any victim surcharge or costs.
