Israel trip funding approval

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Maryland Public Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

All documents sufficient to show when Homeland Security Grant Program funds were used to pay for travel to or training in Israel during the calendar years 2010 through 2020.

The Homeland Security Grant Program includes the State Homeland Security Program (SHSP), the Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI), and Operation Stonegarden (OPSG).

You may find attached below an example of the type of document I am looking for. The example is a Long Beach Police Department document announcing that three officers have been authorized to use $16,500 in UASI funding to attend the 2016 Western States Counter-Terrorism Seminar in Israel. The document includes details of how the funding may be spent.

I made the same request to the Baltimore County Police Department on May 27, 2022. The department's Legal Section responded on May 31, 2022 that "BCoPD is not the custodian for the requested records. The Homeland Security Grants are issued to and administered by the Baltimore County Fire Department." You may also find the Legal Section letter attached below.

To be clear, I am requesting documents on Homeland Security Grant Program funds used to pay for any Baltimore County employees' travel to or training in Israel, not just the Fire Department.

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 calendar days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Matthew Petti