Washington police data collection (Benton County Sheriff's Office)

Please see email response below.

If you have any questions, you may contact me at 509-735-6555 extension 3285.

[decal_sigline]TONI MATA
Records Officer
Benton County Sheriff’s Office
7122 W. Okanogan Place, Bld. A
Kennewick, Washington 99336
509-735-6555 ext. 3285

NOTICE OF PUBLIC DISCLOSURE: This message is intended for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. Any unauthorized use, distribution, or disclosure is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify sender immediately and destroy/delete the original transmission. Any correspondence from or to this e-mail account may be public record. Accordingly, this e-mail, in whole or in part, may be subject to disclosure pursuant to RCW 42.56, regardless of any claim of confidentiality or privilege asserted by an external party.

Please see the below email response sent to you on July 20, 2021.

The Benton County Sheriff’s Office is reviewing your request and has determined additional time is needed to search for potentially responsive documents, review for potential exemptions under the law and prepare an exemption log if applicable. Based on the above, the number of requests being processed, current staffing and workload, We estimate the first installment of records will be available to you by September 29, 2021, with an estimated completion date of December 31, 2021. Should these estimates need to be revised, we will notify you as soon as possible. Should this estimate need to be revised, we will notify you as soon as possible.

Thank you in advance for your patience concerning this matter. Should you have any questions or concerns regarding your public records request, please contact our office at 509‐735‐6555 extension 3285.

[decal_sigline]TONI MATA
Records Officer
Benton County Sheriff’s Office
7122 W. Okanogan Place, Bld. A
Kennewick, Washington 99336
509-735-6555 ext. 3285

NOTICE OF PUBLIC DISCLOSURE: This message is intended for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. Any unauthorized use, distribution, or disclosure is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify sender immediately and destroy/delete the original transmission. Any correspondence from or to this e-mail account may be public record. Accordingly, this e-mail, in whole or in part, may be subject to disclosure pursuant to RCW 42.56, regardless of any claim of confidentiality or privilege asserted by an external party.

Good morning,

Please see email extension attached above sent to you on July 20, 2021, with an estimated date for the first installment as September 29, 2021.
The Benton County Sheriff’s Office is reviewing your request and has determined additional time is needed to search for potentially responsive documents, review for potential exemptions under the law and prepare an exemption log if applicable.

If you have any questions, you may contact me at 509-735-6555 extension 3285.

[decal_sigline]TONI MATA
Public Records Officer
Benton County Sheriff’s Office
7122 W. Okanogan Place, Bld. A
Kennewick, Washington 99336
509-735-6555 ext. 3285

NOTICE OF PUBLIC DISCLOSURE: This message is intended for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. Any unauthorized use, distribution, or disclosure is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify sender immediately and destroy/delete the original transmission. Any correspondence from or to this e-mail account may be public record. Accordingly, this e-mail, in whole or in part, may be subject to disclosure pursuant to RCW 42.56, regardless of any claim of confidentiality or privilege asserted by an external party.

On July 19, 2021, our office received your request for records involving the following:

1. The total number of use of force incidents reported by law enforcement, separated by year and by type of force used from 2013‐2020 (for example, "27 taser incidents in 2019, 3 baton incidents in 2020, etc.)
2. The total number of civilian complaints alleging any form of law enforcement misconduct that were reported and the total number sustained from 2013‐2020, separated by year (for example, 8 complaints in 2016, 2 complaints sustained in 2016, 4 complaints in 2017, 1 complaint sustained in 2017, etc.)
3. The total number of civilian complaints alleging law enforcement use of excessive force that were reported and the total number sustained from 2013‐2020, 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 2013‐2020, separated by year.
5. The total number of civilian complaints alleging criminal conduct that were reported and the total number sustained
from 2013‐2020, separated by year.
6. All information reported to the FBI’s National Use‐of‐Force Data Collection program to date.
7. All list of all officer involved shootings that were directed at a person from 2013‐20 (excluding shootings of animals and accidental discharges that are not directed at a person).
8. The total amount of money paid out in lawsuits and settlements relating to allegations of police misconduct per year from 2013‐20. This includes copies of all reports, lists, databases, or individual documents that detail lawsuits brought against the city's police department and the outcome of lawsuits brought against the city's police department including any financial settlement occurring from 2013‐20. It should also include any documents that your department submits to local, state, or federal agencies listing the number and/or status of lawsuits brought against the police department. This
request includes any documents compiled quarterly, annually, or in other increments as well as any documents or databases that contain responsive information.

Tracking number 21-5636 has been assigned and this email serves to respond to said request pursuant to RCW 42.56.520.

Attached to this email are the documents responsive to your request. In the event any of the documents provided to you appear to be privileged or exempt, the disclosure is inadvertent, and the County does not waive any applicable exemption or privilege. If you become aware that any of the documents provided to you appear to be exempt from disclosure, please notify me immediately and promptly return the erroneously released document.

1. Please see the above attached BCSO UOF documents related to your request.

The Benton County Sheriff’s Office does not have an existing list related to this request for numbers 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7. Please be advised the Public Records Act does not permit ongoing requests for documents that do not exist as of the date of the request. The documents you have requested are currently not in existence. If you would like to make a request in the future for specific identifiable documents in existence we will process it accordingly. Number

6. The Benton County Sheriff’s Office does not participate in the FBI’s National Use-of-Force Data Collection Program.
8. The Benton County Sheriff’s Office does not have records related to this request.

We now regard your request as fulfilled and concluded. If you have any questions, please call 509-735-6555 extension 3285 or send an email to BCSORecords@co.benton.wa.us<mailto:BCSORecords@co.benton.wa.us>.

[decal_sigline]TONI MATA
Benton County Sheriff’s Office
Records Officer
7122 W. Okanogan Place, Bld. A
Kennewick, Washington 99336
509-735-6555 ext. 3285

NOTICE OF PUBLIC DISCLOSURE: This message is intended for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. Any unauthorized use, distribution, or disclosure is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify sender immediately and destroy/delete the original transmission. Any correspondence from or to this e-mail account may be public record. Accordingly, this e-mail, in whole or in part, may be subject to disclosure pursuant to RCW 42.56, regardless of any claim of confidentiality or privilege asserted by an external party.