FOI/202000086802 · FOI · not held
Numbers of people prosecuted for wasting police time and assaults on police: FOI release
Information requested
You asked for:
Number of people charged with making false calls to Police and what are the outcomes of these charges e.g. custodial sentence, community payback order, restriction of liberty order, fine or no case. How many cases of false calls to police are unsuccessful e.g. dropped before court or are not successful at conviction in court? Number of people charged with assaulting Police Officers and what are the outcomes of these charges e.g. custodial sentence, community payback order, restriction of liberty order, fine or no case? How many cases of assaults on Police Officers are unsuccessful e.g. dropped before court or are not successful at conviction in court?
Response
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested.
The Scottish Government does not hold information on charges reported to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) or their outcome. We are unable to identify whether the COPFS decided to take no action.
We can only provide data where charges had been proceeded against in court.
Please note: Serious assaults on police officers might be prosecuted under different legislation or common law and we are unable to identify those cases.
The available information is provided in the attached excel workbook (number of people prosecuted for crimes of wasting police time, by result - Sheet 1; number of people prosecuted for assaults on police officers, by result - Sheet 2).
About FOI The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.