Police have refused to release information about the number of sex offenders living in a Welsh village to a weekly newspaper.
The Llanelli Star submitted a Freedom of Information request to Dyfed-Powys Police following an incident in Burry Port in which a stranger was reported to have tried to lure a six-year-old boy to his home.
The newspaper made the request after the child’s mother called for more information to be made available about the number of registered sex offenders living in the area.
Police refused to provide the information on the grounds that it could drive sex offenders underground or lead to vigilantism.
In a statement to the Star, police said releasing information on the number of offenders would do more harm than good.
The statement said that if they released the information it “could lead to the identification of a registered sex offender which as a consequence could undermine effective law enforcement.”
Star editor Bede MacGowan commented: “There have been a number of incidents in Burry Port recently which have led to mounting concerns among residents about the types of people being moved into the town and how well any registered sex offenders are being monitored.
“As the local paper for the area it’s obviously our job to be their voice and investigate such matters.
“The police have their reasons for refusing the information we asked for, which we accept, but unfortunately their response may only serve to fuel local suspicions that the area is becoming a dumping ground and undermine confidence in the system.
“We will continue to press for more transparency on this issue from the authorities.”
The police told the newspaper that modern-day policing is intelligence-led and disclosing the number of registered sex offenders in a particular area “would assist missing registered sex offenders to identify whether the police are aware that they are missing.
They also said disclosure “could lead to the identification or mis-identification of individuals as registered sex offenders which could put them at risk of vigilante attacks.”
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Having a Little Britain moment here !
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Is the Star appealing over the police decision to refuse the FoI request?
There are merits in both arguments but I take the view that there has to be an overwhelming case against providing info – and that is by no means clear here.
‘Risk of vigilantes/reprisals’ is the sort of pat answer that could be used as an excuse to block news of all kinds of wrongdoing.
It’s the same bogus argument they have been known to use to cover up news of criminality and anti-social behaviour – on the grounds that it is counter-productive as it ‘promotes fear of crime’.
Letting the police have the final say shouldn’t be the end of the matter. Take it to the Ombudsman!
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