When an FOI request is made, we will adopt the spirit of the legislation and look to release the information. Usually the more specific you are about a request, the easier it is to find relevant information.

However, there will be occasions where exemptions contained within the Act must be applied. The purpose of these exemptions is to assist the Police Service in protecting information that,if released, may have a negative impact on our ability to fulfil our core functions of law enforcement, crime prevention and the protection of life.

There are 23 exemptions included under the FOIA. The exemptions are classified as either 'absolute 'or 'qualified'.

Where an absolute exemption applies, no release is required under Freedom of Information legislation. Where a qualified exemption applies, the public interest test must be considered. This gives us more time to make a decision about the release of information.

Where there is a public interest in releasing information and a benefit to the community as a whole, the information will be disclosed. However, where the opposite is true, we will withhold the information.

The complete list of exemptions is as follows: