Youth Offending Service

Details regarding the number of premises used regularly by the council’s Youth Offending Service

Three premises

Details regarding the number of the council’s Youth Offending Services’ premises which have a static weapons detection system ie. knife arches in place and the name/s of these premises

DCC can confirm that we hold the information you have requested, However, we consider this is exempt from disclosure under Section 31(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

We have considered the public interest in releasing this information and whilst we recognise that there is an overriding public interest in openness and transparency, we feel that there is a stronger public interest in the Council preventing and detecting criminal activity, as well as protecting the safety of members of the public and our staff. For these reasons we feel that the balance of public interest weighs in favour of withholding this information from disclosure at this time.

Details of any mobile weapons detection systems ie. knife wands used by the council’s Youth Offending Service to search young people for weapons and when this is used

DCC can confirm that we hold the information you have requested. However, we consider this is exempt from disclosure under Section 31(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

We have considered the public interest in releasing this information and whilst we recognise that there is an overriding public interest in openness and transparency, we feel that there is a stronger public interest in the Council preventing and detecting criminal activity, as well as protecting the safety of members of the public and our staff. For these reasons we feel that the balance of public interest weighs in favour of withholding this information from disclosure at this time.

Details available of any serious incidents involving weapons on premises used regularly by the Youth Offending Service or at Youth Offending Service events, including the number of such incidents, between March 2018 and March 2021 and details of how such incidents are recorded

There have been two incidents involving weapons on the Youth Offending Team (YOT) premises in the time period specified.  Both were recorded on the YOTs own database, on the Devon County Council OSHENS safety at work database and one incident was reported to the police.

Is the council considering introducing weapons detection systems, either static or portable, into premises used regularly by its Youth Offending Service?

DCC can confirm that we hold the information you have requested. However, we consider this is exempt from disclosure under Section 31(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

We have considered the public interest in releasing this information and whilst we recognise that there is an overriding public interest in openness and transparency, we feel that there is a stronger public interest in the Council preventing and detecting criminal activity, as well as protecting the safety of members of the public and our staff. For these reasons we feel that the balance of public interest weighs in favour of withholding this information from disclosure at this time.

Please could you attach any policies used by the council’s Youth Offending Service on searching young people aged under 18 for weapons before attending meetings/events on premises used regularly by the Youth Offending Service.

We have no specific policy that covers searching young people before entering YOT premises. We do make it plain to young people, verbally and in writing, that they cannot behave in a violent or aggressive manner whilst in YOT buildings and they are forbidden to bring weapons (or drugs and alcohol) into our buildings.