Malicious communications
Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FOI/25/008798/U
Version Date: 01/10/2025
The Performance & Analysis Department has provided the following information:
Date Source:
Crime information system – Unifi
Crime information system – Niche
Data Limitations:
Due to a change in Crime Record Management Systems in Nov 2022, some records may have been redacted or altered.
Please may you provide me with:
• The number of arrests your force has made under Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 and Section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988. Can this data be broken down by calendar year, from 2017 to the most recent available year.
|
Sum of arrests under S1. Malicious Communications Act 1988 & S127. Communications Act 2003 |
Year |
Grand Total |
|||||||
|
Arrest Offence |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|
|
S1. Malicious Communications Act 1988 - 195/41 |
8 |
8 |
6 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
24 |
|
Send communication / article of an indecent / offensive nature (recordable) |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
Send letter / communication / article conveying a threatening message (recordable) |
7 |
4 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
17 |
|
Send letter / communication / article conveying false information (recordable) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Send letter / communication / article conveying indecent / offensive message (recordable) |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
|
S127. Communications Act 2033 - 196/07 |
63 |
42 |
22 |
32 |
29 |
37 |
140 |
169 |
534 |
|
Cause to be sent by public communication network a false message to cause annoyance / inconvenience / anxiety (recordable) |
0 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
9 |
|
Cause to be sent by public communication network an offensive / indecent / obscene / menacing message / matter (recordable) |
3 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
8 |
18 |
40 |
|
Persistently make use of public communication network to cause annoyance / inconvenience / anxiety (recordable) |
16 |
15 |
14 |
16 |
14 |
14 |
17 |
37 |
143 |
|
Send by public communication network an offensive / indecent / obscene / menacing message / matter (recordable) |
40 |
16 |
2 |
13 |
10 |
17 |
107 |
113 |
318 |
|
Send false message by public electronic communication network to cause annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety (recordable) |
4 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
5 |
2 |
5 |
0 |
24 |
|
Sum of arrests under S1. Malicious Communications Act 1988 |
Year |
Grand Total |
|||||||
|
Arrest Offence |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|
|
008/72 |
158 |
83 |
102 |
101 |
93 |
133 |
119 |
135 |
924 |
|
Send communication / article of an indecent / offensive nature (recordable) |
25 |
10 |
18 |
27 |
23 |
25 |
56 |
97 |
281 |
|
Send letter / communication / article conveying a threatening message (recordable) |
109 |
54 |
75 |
62 |
62 |
89 |
43 |
12 |
506 |
|
Send letter / communication / article conveying false information (recordable) |
6 |
0 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
0 |
23 |
|
Send letter / communication / article conveying indecent / offensive message (recordable) |
18 |
19 |
6 |
8 |
6 |
17 |
14 |
26 |
114 |