Police data collection request (Jersey City Police Department)

Dear Samuel Sinyangwe:

Thank you for your interest in open public records of Jersey City OPRA Center.  This will serve to acknowledge receipt of your Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request.  Your request was received in this office on 1/4/2021.  Kindly refer to the reference number B000024-010421 when communicating with our office in this regard.  Your request mentioned:
To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, I hereby request the following records:

1. the total number of use of force incidents, separated by year and by type of force used from 2016-2020 (for example, "27 taser incidents in 2016, 3 baton incidents in 2017, etc.)
2. the total number of civilian complaints alleging any form of law enforcement misconduct that were reported and the total number sustained, separated by year (for example, 8 complaints in 2016, 2 complaints sustained in 2017, 4 complaints in 2018, 1 complaint sustained in 2019, etc.)
3. the total number of civilian complaints alleging law enforcement use of excessive force that were reported and the total number sustained from 2016-2020, separated by year
4. the total number of civilian complaints alleging biased policing or racial profiling that were reported and the total number sustained from 2016-2020, separated by year
5. the total number of civilian complaints alleging criminal conduct that were reported and the total number sustained from 2016-2020, separated by year

Note that my requests for civilian complaints are specifically for civilian complaints alleging police misconduct, please do not include complaints filed by one officer/the department against another officer.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 7 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Samuel Sinyangwe

Upload documents directly: https://https://www.muckrock.comhttps://www.muckrock.com/

Your request will be forwarded to the relevant City department(s) to locate the information you seek and to determine the volume and any costs associated with satisfying your request. You will be contacted about the availability and/or provided with copies of the records in question.  PLEASE NOTE: The State Public Information Act does not require a governmental body to create new information, to do legal research, or to answer questions.
Reference is made to your OPRA request captioned above. Please note that, due to the state of emergency in relation to COVID-19, the City of Jersey City will not be able to respond to OPRA requests within seven (7) business days. Therefore, an additional thirty (30) days are needed for the processing of your request. The City appreciates your patience during this difficult time.
You can track and monitor the progress of your request at the link below and you'll receive an email when your request has been completed. Again, thank you for using the Jersey City OPRA Center.
Jersey City, NJ

--- Please respond above this line ---

RE: OPEN PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST of January 04, 2021, Reference # B000024-010421

Dear Mr. Sinyangwe,

The City received a public information request from you on January 4, 2021. You requested:
Pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, I hereby request the following records:

1. the total number of use of force incidents, separated by year and by type of force used from 2016-2020 (for example, "27 taser incidents in 2016, 3 baton incidents in 2017, etc.)
2. the total number of civilian complaints alleging any form of law enforcement misconduct that were reported and the total number sustained, separated by year (for example, 8 complaints in 2016, 2 complaints sustained in 2017, 4 complaints in 2018, 1 complaint sustained in 2019, etc.)
3. the total number of civilian complaints alleging law enforcement use of excessive force that were reported and the total number sustained from 2016-2020, separated by year
4. the total number of civilian complaints alleging biased policing or racial profiling that were reported and the total number sustained from 2016-2020, separated by year
5. the total number of civilian complaints alleging criminal conduct that were reported and the total number sustained from 2016-2020, separated by year

Note that my requests for civilian complaints are specifically for civilian complaints alleging police misconduct, please do not include complaints filed by one officer/the department against another officer.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

The City has reviewed its files and has located records responsive to your request. Please log in to the Jersey City OPRA Center at the following link to retrieve them:
Open Public Records Act - B000024-010421

Sincerely,

John Hallanan
Deputy City Clerk
Office of City Clerk