Examine Mobile Phones

1. Does Cheshire Constabulary have a unit/units who have the responsibility to examine mobile phones? If so please can you provide details of the names of these units?

2. How many officers are authorised to perform mobile phone examinations for Cheshire Constabulary?

3. How many mobile phones seized for evidence and intelligence purposes were examined over the following periods:
· 2007-2008
· 2008-2009
· 2009-2010
· 2010-2011

4. Are 100% of mobile phones seized for evidence and intelligence purposes examined by Cheshire Constabulary? If not please provide details of the companies that you outsource this this service to.

5. What percentage and total number of mobile phones that were seized for evidence and intelligence purposes examined by external companies, over the following periods:
· 2007-2008
· 2008-2009
· 2009-2010
· 2010-2011

6. How much money did Cheshire Constabulary spend on outsourcing this capability, over the following periods:
· 2007-2008
· 2008-2009
· 2009-2010
· 2010-2011

In accordance with section 1(1) (b) of the Act our response is provided below;

Question 1. YES

E-Forensics/Mobile Phone Unit

Question 2. 6

Question 3 

• 2007-2008 = 650
• 2008-2009 = 775
• 2009-2010 = 1318
• 2010-2011 = 1580

Question 4: YES. The Constabulary currently handles all examinations. We have in the past, (2009), outsourced a small percentage.

Question 5

• 2007-2008 = 0
• 2008-2009 = 0
• 2009-2010 = 100 phones out of 1318 (7.5%)
• 2010-2011 = 0

Question 6

• 2007-2008 = £0
• 2008-2009 = £0
• 2009-2010 = £5000
• 2010-2011 = £0

Please see also a previous disclosure relating to this and other similar matters that may be of interest to you.  Disclosure Log 2278

In addition:

The Cheshire Constabulary can neither confirm nor deny that any additional information is held in relation to the questions of external resourcing and workload by virtue of Section 23(5) Information supplied by or concerning certain Security Bodies;

Section 30(3) Investigations and Section 31(3) Law Enforcement.

Confirmation or denial of the mere existence of investigation material or the involvement of exempt FOIA bodies will in itself provide exempt information into the public domain. It is therefore appropriate to follow this course of action under the auspices of Section 17(4) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

This should not be taken as an inference that the information you have requested is or is not held by the force.