Facial recognition software and marketing - February 2019 (Boston Police Department)

The Boston Police Department requires further clarification to process this
request, please contact the Office of Media Relations at 617-343-4520.

Dear Beryl Lipton,

Thank you for your interest in public records of Boston Police Department.  Your request has been received and is being processed.  Your request was received in this office on January 22, 2020 and given the reference number B000121-012220 for tracking purposes.
If this is a media request, please contact the Office of Media Relations directly at 617.343.4520. Hi there,

Could you please call me about this request? I would like to have it renewed and processed.

Thank you for your time and help.

Best wishes,
Beryl
617-299-1832
____________

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, I hereby request the following records:

Records and materials related to the solicitation, acquisition, and use of face recognition technology and related software and services.

This software or services may be provided by Rekognition, Face++, and FaceFirst; this request is applicable to these and any other company providing facial recognition services under consideration or contract with this agency.

Materials responsive materials include but are not limited to:

• Agreements: contracts (including non-disclosure agreements), licensing agreements, nondisclosure agreements

• Bid records: Requests For Proposal (or equivalent calls for bids), sole source or limited source justification and approval documentation, documentation of selection, and other materials generated in the consideration and selection of the technology in question

• Company relations and communications: records related to meetings or follow-up actions with any vendors, companies, or other private entities marketing face recognition to this agency for immigration, intelligence, law enforcement, or other use.

• Financial records: purchase orders, invoices, and other memoranda and documentation.

• Marketing records: All marketing materials - unsolicited, requested, or otherwise - acquired from vendors of face recognition technology

• Policy records: any policy directives, guidance documents, memoranda, training materials, or similar records governing the use of face recognition technology for immigration, law enforcement, or other purposes.

• Training records: training material governing the use, sharing, or access to any related data related to or collected by the face recognition software/technology, including the legal standard that is required before using the technology

• Use and function records: Materials that describe the function of the software considered or in use by this agency, including emails, handouts, PowerPoint presentations, advertisements, or specification documents.

Please limit the search to records produced from January 1, 2017 – present. Please include in your search as responsive records: communications, memorandums, background papers, meeting minutes, email exchanges, or presentation materials. If your office has questions about this request, please feel free to direct them to the address associated with this request or call the MuckRock office at 617-299-1832.

I also request that, if appropriate, fees be waived as we believe this request is in the public interest, as suggested but not stipulated by the recommendations of the Massachusetts Supervisor of Public Records. The requested documents will be made available to the general public free of charge as part of the public information service at MuckRock.com, processed by a representative of the news media/press and is made in the process of news gathering and not for commercial usage.

I expect the request to be filled in an accessible format, including for screen readers, which provide text-to-speech for persons unable to read print. Files that are not accessible to screen readers include, for example, .pdf image files as well as physical documents.

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,

Beryl Lipton

Upload documents directly: https://https://www.muckrock.comhttps://accounts.muckrock.com/accounts/login/?url_auth_token=AAAj3SmFwCqGc-tMmfYbORz2o9M%3A1iuQFW%3AdREe6NV3Cf9p47v5nxAGPBVtKP4&next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.muckrock.com%2Faccounts%2Flogin%2F%3Fnext%3D%252Faccounts%252Fagency_login%252Fboston-police-department-174%252Ffacial-recognition-software-and-marketing-february-2019-boston-police-department-69490%252F%253Femail%253D%252522error%252522%252B%25253Cmediarelations%252540pd.boston.gov%25253E%252B%252528error%252529


You can 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 Public Records Center.
Director, Public Information
Boston Police Department
617.343.6660
To monitor the progress or update this request please log into the Public Records Center. (https://u8387778.ct.sendgrid.net/wf/click?upn=xSfKPyHO1-2F4Mny2NCLJVultM-2BeBANDu1v5HDGXRowLxtSxpI0RhgPF1ziebTJh-2FHdbS2KEqdzuIpjuU5ltiI1y3eOMymfB0VZfsscAcDqHA-3D_cCwn7KZNpR9Vs-2FhvWfp2n9iRa6XL6HGr9fwe01lTsekoAiA5eUxqV1DKlOZhA5-2FodtpXYmYAQzTPP9Hj-2FCKz0gMdB2LK-2FaBFYMgF-2FyKV9Ot2ZG-2B7NBAiY62DarPYdTSWUQt1UO8UArGTuWfwYItZdzRQdcFphcv438-2B30aIL0kCpp-2FUGj1RBTJb2wkN-2FzoKPTua-2BcmlCjBkRp5V48GjNSVqcglHpiSG3QRsXEJUXt7OBh0ku32LymrwnY7KqgfrcQxMJwCo4s0LVcahuPLy-2BBmnNZO1LBORuBi-2FlDKtUK82YSfFKugc9e2xdzp1t1Ievl0TZAcKr7zsgpxY2oyghGrzYjah1nJ5t9rJFMOUcgtBeW5PY5NrgAKsTzc80UmpI3iBuJeDl1BMLZa6vxtAGD8YkMFa6x4wt-2FAQ2IL4AIDg-3D)

--- Please respond above this line ---

Beryl,
I will look into this. It's safe to say we don't use facial technology so I'm not sure if that helps.
Thanks
To monitor the progress or update this request please log into the Public Records Center. (https://u8387778.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=6HtRfOYLt5fXvpttM-2FU1HS4L-2FIgBDSrHGana-2FLpLlsj8PZ-2B8QPjL1HPo2g1qgKLwXvbvIcqX6KFSHItv6e7TxNXD6Xd08tS9mXFKDh4OP7E-3DAGnv_yqu7WAB3xEVDVIHzTFnIMKHLGwMLZmA0MyLl3op6gdw3wueGxGKox5j7CqvODSd2NQWGNy-2BJLe0qwKxNTeyatpdfh3oDj67-2FhJK9cnYE1L2EVqCLOEVYF6FZIcepRrEkvTkHEPWClhQLWc2ll7gpA-2FC77I-2Fl5kEgJT5QsZ4SdnXmf-2BpbEEhEK0kU1RNkYjYO1sRNB5Wg9eEjVbVR-2FlUE26-2BU2U9VPRWpOcSV3yWgfRG5xCev7H3jvNCfqG1AR8p0s0dyXRxzneYGQUuB3xQVj7F0TAuIxi5zVCUmaxZnlPB70q5N2dmSVBfUYkrH9FwwFo-2B9i03Wj1FMs3blyh0DQbGZG1GmjjY82QuRwu-2BFbedr-2BFr7Nz-2FHDfQWUEX8zUKj-2BQqiqLZ7cN7tTMhlxY36XBZ3yuVmz8-2B0H8Y2miflRWs-3D)

I am currently out of the office.  If you wish to make a public records request please visit the City's public records request portal:
https://bostonma.govqa.us/WEBAPP/_rs/(S(2hdcncdtip4chfpt02rd0zu3))/supporthome.aspx (https://bostonma.govqa.us/WEBAPP/_rs/(S(2hdcncdtip4chfpt02rd0zu3))/supporthome.aspx)

If you wish to send a message please email publicrecords@boston.gov. (mailto:publicrecords@boston.gov)

--
Yours truly,
Shawn A. Williams, Esq. Director of Public Records (http://www.boston.gov/departments/public-records) Records Access Officer City of Boston
One City Hall Square Boston, MA 02201 publicrecords@boston.gov

--- Please respond above this line ---




City of Boston
Shawn A. Williams, Esq.
Director of Public Records 07/20/2021 RE: PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST of January 22, 2020., Reference # B000121-012220 Dear Beryl: The City of Boston (City) has received your request for public records.  This response applies only to records that exist and are in the custody of the City. See A Guide to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, p. 32, n.115.  It is expected that a custodian of records must use her superior knowledge of her records with respect to responses to public records requests.  950 CMR 32.04(5).  Specifically, you stated:
Records and materials related to the solicitation, acquisition, and use of face recognition technology and related software and services.

This software or services may be provided by Rekognition, Face++, and FaceFirst; this request is applicable to these and any other company providing facial recognition services under consideration or contract with this agency.

Materials responsive materials include but are not limited to:

• Agreements: contracts (including non-disclosure agreements), licensing agreements, nondisclosure agreements

• Bid records: Requests For Proposal (or equivalent calls for bids), sole source or limited source justification and approval documentation, documentation of selection, and other materials generated in the consideration and selection of the technology in question

• Company relations and communications: records related to meetings or follow-up actions with any vendors, companies, or other private entities marketing face recognition to this agency for immigration, intelligence, law enforcement, or other use.

• Financial records: purchase orders, invoices, and other memoranda and documentation.

• Marketing records: All marketing materials - unsolicited, requested, or otherwise - acquired from vendors of face recognition technology

• Policy records: any policy directives, guidance documents, memoranda, training materials, or similar records governing the use of face recognition technology for immigration, law enforcement, or other purposes.

• Training records: training material governing the use, sharing, or access to any related data related to or collected by the face recognition software/technology, including the legal standard that is required before using the technology

• Use and function records: Materials that describe the function of the software considered or in use by this agency, including emails, handouts, PowerPoint presentations, advertisements, or specification documents.

Please limit the search to records produced from January 1, 2017 – present. Please include in your search as responsive records: communications, memorandums, background papers, meeting minutes, email exchanges, or presentation materials. If your office has questions about this request, please feel free to direct them to the address associated with this request or call the MuckRock office at 617-299-1832.

I also request that, if appropriate, fees be waived as we believe this request is in the public interest, as suggested but not stipulated by the recommendations of the Massachusetts Supervisor of Public Records. The requested documents will be made available to the general public free of charge as part of the public information service at MuckRock.com, processed by a representative of the news media/press and is made in the process of news gathering and not for commercial usage.

I expect the request to be filled in an accessible format, including for screen readers, which provide text-to-speech for persons unable to read print. Files that are not accessible to screen readers include, for example, .pdf image files as well as physical documents.

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,

Beryl Lipton It is my understanding that the City of Boston does not use such technology and as such has no responsive records. Very truly yours, Shawn A. Williams, Esq. Director of Public Records Records Access Officer
To monitor the progress or update this request please log into the Public Records Center. (https://u8387778.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=6HtRfOYLt5fXvpttM-2FU1HS4L-2FIgBDSrHGana-2FLpLlsj8PZ-2B8QPjL1HPo2g1qgKLwXvbvIcqX6KFSHItv6e7TxNXD6Xd08tS9mXFKDh4OP7E-3DPkkA_yqu7WAB3xEVDVIHzTFnIMKHLGwMLZmA0MyLl3op6gdw3wueGxGKox5j7CqvODSd2NQWGNy-2BJLe0qwKxNTeyatmCnDVOCDD0RU-2B7yyn6lMu8Z39eYCKkgni05prLGjP0xOhOsYhYKmkpKjsZ6-2FOhNeaWiCA4Lppg7yKJp7h2yVve-2BkKTceLUhxEhX-2FPP0qFdKXo8hQhWiybn0fzp7fgr6q-2FNT6mUbY4184yBHToQl-2FGRsW9pbKF3VJ5cjUJC9zx0WIAmeHcounmck8ENZuehSGgjQSJBFguJafgRw56SZzkr8NXk9SR-2BWI0bn5pHXRDHJ7-2FnbnDkonjMF0Te2M60X5E1u-2BbFLg7o5ZwWAYw0093HbUKbYm1S6yQxzrN2IjqSkXpSodvX5ZXQoPWqGYdZS-2BA-3D-3D)