Search Fee for BPD Emails (Department of Finance)
| Submitted | Nov. 6, 2016 |
| Est. Completion | None |
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Communications
From: Patrick Mackie
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to Maryland's Public Information Act ("PIA"), I hereby request the following records:
All records that show where Baltimore Police Department MPIA search fees go, how the payment is processed, and any and all guidelines related to search fees that end up at your office from the Baltimore Police Department. As the payment would be payable to the Director of Finance it should and would end up in your office.
See document below to understand what I mean by "search fee".
https://www.scribd.com/document/330228415/Patrick-Mackie-MPIA-16-606-Muckrock
text from link above:
"If you would like start the search and download process remit check or money order in the amount of $50.00 payable to the Director of Finance; mail the payment to the Baltimore Police Department’s Office Legal Affairs, 100 N Holiday St., Room 100, Baltimore, Md. 21202 Please refer to tracking... in any subsequent correspondence in this matter"
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 10 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Patrick Mackie
From: Hochstetler, Jeffrey
Dear Mr. Mackie,
We have received your requests for public information, attached, which are governed by the Maryland Public Information Act (“PIA”), Maryland Code, General Provisions Article (“GP”), Sections 4-101 et seq. We will process your request promptly. However, our response may take longer than 10 days, the reasons for which may include the scope of your request, the type and volume of potentially responsive records, and the nature of the search, review, and preparation that is required. In any event, we will respond to your request within 30 days. GP § 4-203.
We will contact you promptly if we need you to clarify your request, and, if necessary, with the exact fee amount required to finish processing your request. Any fees charged will be based on the actual amount of time beyond 2 hours it will take one or more employees to search for, prepare, review, and reproduce the responsive records, at the prorated individual salaries of the personnel involved.
Sincerely,
[cid:image001.png@01D0CAEC.3DDA1760]<http://www.baltimorecity.gov/>
Department of Law
Jeffrey P. Hochstetler
Assistant Solicitor
100 N. Holliday Street,
City Hall, Suite 101
Baltimore, MD 21202
jeffrey.hochstetler@baltimorecity.gov<mailto:jeffrey.hochstetler@baltimorecity.gov>
Office: (410) 396-8186
Fax: (410) 547-1025
Confidentiality Notice:
This e-mail, including any attachment(s), is intended for receipt and use by the intended addressee(s), and may contain legal or other confidential and privileged information. If you are not an intended recipient of this e-mail, you are hereby notified that any unauthorized use or distribution of this e-mail is strictly prohibited, and requested to delete this communication and its attachment(s) without making any copies thereof and to contact the sender of this e-mail immediately. Nothing contained in the body and/or header of this e-mail is intended as a signature or intended to bind the addressor or any person represented by the addressor to the terms of any agreement that may be the subject of this e-mail or its attachment(s), except where such intent is expressly indicated.
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From: MuckRock.com
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on Nov. 6, 2016. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Hochstetler, Jeffrey
Mr. Mackie,
I believe the Baltimore Police Department responded to you regarding this request. If not, please let me know. Thank you.
Sincerely,
[cid:image001.png@01D0CAEC.3DDA1760]<http://www.baltimorecity.gov/>
Department of Law
Jeffrey P. Hochstetler
Assistant Solicitor
100 N. Holliday Street,
City Hall, Suite 101
Baltimore, MD 21202
jeffrey.hochstetler@baltimorecity.gov<mailto:jeffrey.hochstetler@baltimorecity.gov>
Office: (410) 396-8186
Fax: (410) 547-1025
Confidentiality Notice:
This e-mail, including any attachment(s), is intended for receipt and use by the intended addressee(s), and may contain legal or other confidential and privileged information. If you are not an intended recipient of this e-mail, you are hereby notified that any unauthorized use or distribution of this e-mail is strictly prohibited, and requested to delete this communication and its attachment(s) without making any copies thereof and to contact the sender of this e-mail immediately. Nothing contained in the body and/or header of this e-mail is intended as a signature or intended to bind the addressor or any person represented by the addressor to the terms of any agreement that may be the subject of this e-mail or its attachment(s), except where such intent is expressly indicated.
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From: Patrick Mackie
I have not received a response related to my request from the BPD. On a different request I received a response explaining how the search fee is applied, but not as to where it exactly goes or any documentation related to the processing or guidelines as to how it is handled or even where it exactly is emptied into.
From: Hochstetler, Jeffrey
It is my understanding that the fees you are asking about are handled internally by BPD, not by the City’s Department of Finance. The BPD is not a City agency. A request for public information under the PIA must be submitted to an agency’s custodian of public records, and each governmental agency, is the custodian of its own records. GP § 4-202(a). Please send your request to Wayne Brooks and Caroline Sturgis at BPD; I believe Wayne corresponded with you previously. Thanks.
[cid:image001.png@01D0CAEC.3DDA1760]<http://www.baltimorecity.gov/>
Department of Law
Jeffrey P. Hochstetler
Assistant Solicitor
100 N. Holliday Street,
City Hall, Suite 101
Baltimore, MD 21202
jeffrey.hochstetler@baltimorecity.gov<mailto:jeffrey.hochstetler@baltimorecity.gov>
Office: (410) 396-8186
Fax: (410) 547-1025
Confidentiality Notice:
This e-mail, including any attachment(s), is intended for receipt and use by the intended addressee(s), and may contain legal or other confidential and privileged information. If you are not an intended recipient of this e-mail, you are hereby notified that any unauthorized use or distribution of this e-mail is strictly prohibited, and requested to delete this communication and its attachment(s) without making any copies thereof and to contact the sender of this e-mail immediately. Nothing contained in the body and/or header of this e-mail is intended as a signature or intended to bind the addressor or any person represented by the addressor to the terms of any agreement that may be the subject of this e-mail or its attachment(s), except where such intent is expressly indicated.
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image001