Drone and UAV acquisition, policy, and use (California Highway Patrol)

The form is attached showing receipt of your CPRA request. Note that the form has limited space; however, your request will be dealt with in its entirety.

[cid:image003.png@01D66FF0.DE92B8C0]

Office of Community Outreach and Media Relations
P.O. Box 942898
Sacramento, CA 94298-0001
(916) 843-3310
(800) 735-2929 (TT/TDD)
(800) 735-2922 (Voice)

August 21, 2020

File No.: 013.A13673.A16501.2020-69

Beryl Lipton
requests@muckrock.com<mailto:requests@muckrock.com>

Dear Ms. Lipton:

The California Highway Patrol (CHP), Office of Community Outreach and Media Relations (COMR), received your California Public Records Act (CPRA) request, dated August 10 and received by this office August 11, 2020.

In your request you asked for the following:

All documents created from January 2010 through the date this request is processed related to the agency's use of airborne tools, vehicles, and weapons: aerial drones, remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs), remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs), unmanned aerials (UAs), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and/or unmanned aerial systems (UASs)(hereinafter "drones").

Please search specifically records in each of the below document categories. A response to each of the categories and items would be appreciated.

ACQUISITION AND PROCUREMENT

i) requests for proposals (RFPs), proposals/quotes submitted by vendors, contracts, leases, budget requests, project/equipment budgets, cost allocations or reimbursements for the purchase of drone equipment;

ii) Grant applications and award letters for drone equipment purchases;

iii) Insurance contracts for all drone equipment;

iv) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head or agency quartermaster (or individual responsible for equipment purchases and maintenance) and drone vendors, manufacturers or retailers;

v) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head and agency quartermaster (or individual responsible for equipment purchases and maintenance) regarding acquisition, lease or use of drone equipment;

vi) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head and the governor, mayor and city/town manager regarding the acquisition of drones;

AUTHORIZATION

vii) Applications (including all components and support documentation) for Certificates of Waiver/Authorization (COA) from the Federal Aviation Administration, as well as COA grant notifications and final agreement;

viii) Contracts for services related to drones, such as data storage, data analysis, image storage, image analysis, video storage, video analysis, operation, maintenance;

EQUIPMENT LOGS and ADD-ONS

i) Inventories/logs/lists/databases of all drones owned, leased or operated by or for the agency;

ii) Maintenance logs for all drones owned, leased or otherwise operated by or for the agency;

iii) records and logs related to any attachments or additional equipment used or designed to be used with the drones, including all license plate readers, video cameras, thermal cameras, data storage, Stingrays or cell phone simulators, etc.

POLICIES AND GUIDANCE

i) Policies, guidelines, protocols, manuals and/or instructions on the use/operation of drones and usage of data, images and video obtained from drone flights;

ii) Communications from the agency head, quartermaster (or individual responsible for overseeing equipment purchases and maintenance) on approved uses for drones;

iii) Memorandums of understanding (MOUs), memorandums of agreement (MOAs) or any other agreements or contracts with other government agencies, private corporations, organizations or individuals to share drone equipment, data, images or video or to operate drones on behalf of the agency;

TRAINING DOCUMENTS

i) Curriculum used to train drone operators and observers;

ii) Training log for all drone operators and observers;

iii) Certifications of training completion for all drone operators and observers;

iv) Contracts, purchase orders, budget requests or reimbursement orders for training sessions for all drone operators and observers;

USE DOCUMENTS AND DATA

i) Flight logs for all drone flights, including training flights;

ii) Flight logs transmitted to the Federal Aviation Administration pursuant to Certificate of Waiver/Authorization (COA) requirements;

iii) Reprimands relating to drones, including misuse of equipment and failure to properly maintain equipment.

The Office of COMR is determining whether you seek copies of disclosable public records in the Department's possession. This will require personnel to search for and collect the requested records from offices that are separate from the office processing the request.

Additionally, COMR personnel must consult with other components of the Department that have a substantial subject matter interest therein. Accordingly, COMR is extending its 10-day response timeframe by an additional 14 days, as authorized by Government Code § 6253, Subdivisions (c)(1) and (c)(3).

If you have any questions or if you need additional information, please contact this office at (916) 843-3310.

Sincerely,

F. CLADER
Director of Communications

[cid:image003.png@01D677D6.6BAEE8E0]

Office of Community Outreach and Media Relations
P.O. Box 942898
Sacramento, CA 94298-0001
(916) 843-3310
(800) 735-2929 (TT/TDD)
(800) 735-2922 (Voice)

September 4, 2020

File No.: 013.A13673.A16501.2020-69

Beryl Lipton
requests@muckrock.com<mailto:requests@muckrock.com>

Dear Ms. Lipton:

The California Highway Patrol (CHP), Office of Community Outreach and Media Relations (COMR), received your California Public Records Act (CPRA) request, dated August 10 and received by this office August 11, 2020. On August 21, 2020, COMR notified you the 10-day response timeframe was being extended by an additional 14 days, as authorized by California Government Code 6253, subdivisions (c)(1) and (c)(3).

In your request you asked for the following:

All documents created from January 2010 through the date this request is processed related to the agency's use of airborne tools, vehicles, and weapons: aerial drones, remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs), remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs), unmanned aerials (UAs), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and/or unmanned aerial systems (UASs)(hereinafter "drones").

Please search specifically records in each of the below document categories. A response to each of the categories and items would be appreciated.

ACQUISITION AND PROCUREMENT

i) requests for proposals (RFPs), proposals/quotes submitted by vendors, contracts, leases, budget requests, project/equipment budgets, cost allocations or reimbursements for the purchase of drone equipment;

ii) Grant applications and award letters for drone equipment purchases;

iii) Insurance contracts for all drone equipment;

iv) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head or agency quartermaster (or individual responsible for equipment purchases and maintenance) and drone vendors, manufacturers or retailers;

v) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head and agency quartermaster (or individual responsible for equipment purchases and maintenance) regarding acquisition, lease or use of drone equipment;

vi) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head and the governor, mayor and city/town manager regarding the acquisition of drones;

AUTHORIZATION

vii) Applications (including all components and support documentation) for Certificates of Waiver/Authorization (COA) from the Federal Aviation Administration, as well as COA grant notifications and final agreement;

viii) Contracts for services related to drones, such as data storage, data analysis, image storage, image analysis, video storage, video analysis, operation, maintenance;

EQUIPMENT LOGS and ADD-ONS

i) Inventories/logs/lists/databases of all drones owned, leased or operated by or for the agency;

ii) Maintenance logs for all drones owned, leased or otherwise operated by or for the agency;

iii) records and logs related to any attachments or additional equipment used or designed to be used with the drones, including all license plate readers, video cameras, thermal cameras, data storage, Stingrays or cell phone simulators, etc.

POLICIES AND GUIDANCE

i) Policies, guidelines, protocols, manuals and/or instructions on the use/operation of drones and usage of data, images and video obtained from drone flights;

ii) Communications from the agency head, quartermaster (or individual responsible for overseeing equipment purchases and maintenance) on approved uses for drones;

iii) Memorandums of understanding (MOUs), memorandums of agreement (MOAs) or any other agreements or contracts with other government agencies, private corporations, organizations or individuals to share drone equipment, data, images or video or to operate drones on behalf of the agency;

TRAINING DOCUMENTS

i) Curriculum used to train drone operators and observers;

ii) Training log for all drone operators and observers;

iii) Certifications of training completion for all drone operators and observers;

iv) Contracts, purchase orders, budget requests or reimbursement orders for training sessions for all drone operators and observers;

USE DOCUMENTS AND DATA

i) Flight logs for all drone flights, including training flights;

ii) Flight logs transmitted to the Federal Aviation Administration pursuant to Certificate of Waiver/Authorization (COA) requirements;

iii) Reprimands relating to drones, including misuse of equipment and failure to properly maintain equipment.

The requested records are being collected and require redactions to comply with various provisions of law. The process of reviewing, redacting, and routing through proper channels may take approximately 30 additional days. Once this process has been completed and the records have been properly reviewed, you will be notified and informed of the cost to obtain the requested records.

If you have any questions or if you need additional information, please contact this office at (916) 843-3310.

Sincerely,

F. CLADER
Director of Communications

[cid:image003.png@01D682C8.39155DE0]

To: Beryl Lipton, MuckRock

The CHP is compiling responsive documents for this request. However, it may be important to you to know that the CHP ONLY uses drones for collision investigations, not for surveillance or anything to do with demonstrations.
I have attached the Management Memorandum, MM19-003, explaining this policy. (This memorandum has been incorporated into formal CHP policy and remains in effect.)
We don't want to waste your time or ours gathering data and documents that are not relevant to your project.
If, for example, you are researching all drone use by law enforcement, for any purpose, we will continue to fulfill this request. If, on the other hand, your interest focuses on protests and demonstrations, please let me know if we can close this request.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss, feel free to call (916) 843-3310 or email me.
Thank you for your attention.

[cid:image001.png@01D5F3C6.15CE1840]

To: Beryl Lipton, MuckRock

The CHP is compiling responsive documents for this request. However, it may be important to you to know that the CHP ONLY uses drones for collision investigations, not for surveillance or anything to do with demonstrations.
I have attached the Management Memorandum, MM19-003, explaining this policy. (This memorandum has been incorporated into formal CHP policy and remains in effect.)
We don't want to waste your time or ours gathering data and documents that are not relevant to your project.
If, for example, you are researching all drone use by law enforcement, for any purpose, we will continue to fulfill this request. If, on the other hand, your interest focuses on protests and demonstrations, please let me know if we can close this request.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss, feel free to call (916) 843-3310 or email me.
Thank you for your attention.

[cid:image001.png@01D5F3C6.15CE1840]

To: Beryl Lipton, MuckRock

The CHP is compiling responsive documents for this request. However, it may be important to you to know that the CHP ONLY uses drones for collision investigations, not for surveillance or anything to do with demonstrations or protests.
I have attached the Management Memorandum, MM19-003, explaining this policy. (This memorandum has been incorporated into formal CHP policy and remains in effect.)
We don't want to waste your time or ours gathering data and documents that are not relevant to your project.
If you are researching all drone use by law enforcement, for any purpose, we will continue to fulfill this request.
If, on the other hand, your interest focuses on protests and demonstrations, please let me know if we can close this request or if you would like to amend it in any way.
Please also clarify if you are referring to drone use statewide.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss, feel free to call (916) 843-3310 or email me. Our office hours are 0800-1700 hours, PDT, Monday-Friday.
Thank you for your attention.

[cid:image002.png@01D6967D.EAB42040]

Office of Community Outreach and Media Relations
P.O. Box 942898
Sacramento, CA 94298-0001
(916) 843-3310
(800) 735-2929 (TT/TDD)
(800) 735-2922 (Voice)

October 5, 2020

File No.: 013.A13673.A16501.2020-69

Beryl Lipton
requests@muckrock.com<mailto:requests@muckrock.com>

Dear Ms. Lipton:

The California Highway Patrol (CHP), Office of Community Outreach and Media Relations (COMR), received your California Public Records Act (CPRA) request, dated August 10 and received by this office August 11, 2020. On August 21, 2020, COMR notified you the 10-day response timeframe was being extended by an additional 14 days, as authorized by California Government Code 6253, subdivisions (c)(1) and (c)(3). On September 4, COMR notified you that collection and review of responsive documents was estimated to take an additional 30 days.

In your request you asked for the following:

All documents created from January 2010 through the date this request is processed related to the agency's use of airborne tools, vehicles, and weapons: aerial drones, remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs), remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs), unmanned aerials (UAs), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and/or unmanned aerial systems (UASs)(hereinafter "drones").

Please search specifically records in each of the below document categories. A response to each of the categories and items would be appreciated.

ACQUISITION AND PROCUREMENT

i) requests for proposals (RFPs), proposals/quotes submitted by vendors, contracts, leases, budget requests, project/equipment budgets, cost allocations or reimbursements for the purchase of drone equipment;

ii) Grant applications and award letters for drone equipment purchases;

iii) Insurance contracts for all drone equipment;

iv) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head or agency quartermaster (or individual responsible for equipment purchases and maintenance) and drone vendors, manufacturers or retailers;

v) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head and agency quartermaster (or individual responsible for equipment purchases and maintenance) regarding acquisition, lease or use of drone equipment;

vi) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head and the governor, mayor and city/town manager regarding the acquisition of drones;

AUTHORIZATION

vii) Applications (including all components and support documentation) for Certificates of Waiver/Authorization (COA) from the Federal Aviation Administration, as well as COA grant notifications and final agreement;

viii) Contracts for services related to drones, such as data storage, data analysis, image storage, image analysis, video storage, video analysis, operation, maintenance;

EQUIPMENT LOGS and ADD-ONS

i) Inventories/logs/lists/databases of all drones owned, leased or operated by or for the agency;

ii) Maintenance logs for all drones owned, leased or otherwise operated by or for the agency;

iii) records and logs related to any attachments or additional equipment used or designed to be used with the drones, including all license plate readers, video cameras, thermal cameras, data storage, Stingrays or cell phone simulators, etc.

POLICIES AND GUIDANCE

i) Policies, guidelines, protocols, manuals and/or instructions on the use/operation of drones and usage of data, images and video obtained from drone flights;

ii) Communications from the agency head, quartermaster (or individual responsible for overseeing equipment purchases and maintenance) on approved uses for drones;

iii) Memorandums of understanding (MOUs), memorandums of agreement (MOAs) or any other agreements or contracts with other government agencies, private corporations, organizations or individuals to share drone equipment, data, images or video or to operate drones on behalf of the agency;

TRAINING DOCUMENTS

i) Curriculum used to train drone operators and observers;

ii) Training log for all drone operators and observers;

iii) Certifications of training completion for all drone operators and observers;

iv) Contracts, purchase orders, budget requests or reimbursement orders for training sessions for all drone operators and observers;

USE DOCUMENTS AND DATA

i) Flight logs for all drone flights, including training flights;

ii) Flight logs transmitted to the Federal Aviation Administration pursuant to Certificate of Waiver/Authorization (COA) requirements;

iii) Reprimands relating to drones, including misuse of equipment and failure to properly maintain equipment.

On September 23, 2020 and again on September 29, 2020, COMR personnel emailed you to obtain clarification of your records request, to no avail. Specifically, COMR attempted to inform you, as well as inquire, if you would like to amend your request with the knowledge that the CHP only uses drones for collision investigations, not for surveillance.

To date, we have not received a response; as such, the requested records are being collected based on your request as is. The process of reviewing, redacting, and routing through proper channels may take approximately 90 additional days. Once this process has been completed and the records have been properly reviewed, you will be notified and informed of the cost to obtain the requested records.

If you have any questions or if you need additional information, please contact this office at (916) 843-3310.

Sincerely,

S. RICHARDS, Captain
Commander
Office of Community Outreach and Media Relations

[cid:image003.png@01D69B36.818ED890]

Office of Community Outreach and Media Relations
P.O. Box 942898
Sacramento, CA 94298-0001
(916) 843-3310
(800) 735-2929 (TT/TDD)
(800) 735-2922 (Voice)

October 5, 2020

File No.: 013.A13673.A16501.2020-69

Beryl Lipton
requests@muckrock.com<mailto:requests@muckrock.com>

Dear Ms. Lipton:

The California Highway Patrol (CHP), Office of Community Outreach and Media Relations (COMR), received your California Public Records Act (CPRA) request, dated August 10 and received by this office August 11, 2020. On August 21, 2020, COMR notified you the 10-day response timeframe was being extended by an additional 14 days, as authorized by California Government Code 6253, subdivisions (c)(1) and (c)(3). On September 4, COMR notified you that collection and review of responsive documents was estimated to take an additional 30 days.

In your request you asked for the following:

All documents created from January 2010 through the date this request is processed related to the agency's use of airborne tools, vehicles, and weapons: aerial drones, remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs), remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs), unmanned aerials (UAs), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and/or unmanned aerial systems (UASs)(hereinafter “drones”).

Please search specifically records in each of the below document categories. A response to each of the categories and items would be appreciated.

ACQUISITION AND PROCUREMENT

i) requests for proposals (RFPs), proposals/quotes submitted by vendors, contracts, leases, budget requests, project/equipment budgets, cost allocations or reimbursements for the purchase of drone equipment;

ii) Grant applications and award letters for drone equipment purchases;

iii) Insurance contracts for all drone equipment;

iv) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head or agency quartermaster (or individual responsible for equipment purchases and maintenance) and drone vendors, manufacturers or retailers;

v) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head and agency quartermaster (or individual responsible for equipment purchases and maintenance) regarding acquisition, lease or use of drone equipment;

vi) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head and the governor, mayor and city/town manager regarding the acquisition of drones;

AUTHORIZATION

vii) Applications (including all components and support documentation) for Certificates of Waiver/Authorization (COA) from the Federal Aviation Administration, as well as COA grant notifications and final agreement;

viii) Contracts for services related to drones, such as data storage, data analysis, image storage, image analysis, video storage, video analysis, operation, maintenance;

EQUIPMENT LOGS and ADD-ONS

i) Inventories/logs/lists/databases of all drones owned, leased or operated by or for the agency;

ii) Maintenance logs for all drones owned, leased or otherwise operated by or for the agency;

iii) records and logs related to any attachments or additional equipment used or designed to be used with the drones, including all license plate readers, video cameras, thermal cameras, data storage, Stingrays or cell phone simulators, etc.

POLICIES AND GUIDANCE

i) Policies, guidelines, protocols, manuals and/or instructions on the use/operation of drones and usage of data, images and video obtained from drone flights;

ii) Communications from the agency head, quartermaster (or individual responsible for overseeing equipment purchases and maintenance) on approved uses for drones;

iii) Memorandums of understanding (MOUs), memorandums of agreement (MOAs) or any other agreements or contracts with other government agencies, private corporations, organizations or individuals to share drone equipment, data, images or video or to operate drones on behalf of the agency;

TRAINING DOCUMENTS

i) Curriculum used to train drone operators and observers;

ii) Training log for all drone operators and observers;

iii) Certifications of training completion for all drone operators and observers;

iv) Contracts, purchase orders, budget requests or reimbursement orders for training sessions for all drone operators and observers;

USE DOCUMENTS AND DATA

i) Flight logs for all drone flights, including training flights;

ii) Flight logs transmitted to the Federal Aviation Administration pursuant to Certificate of Waiver/Authorization (COA) requirements;

iii) Reprimands relating to drones, including misuse of equipment and failure to properly maintain equipment.

On September 23, 2020 and again on September 29, 2020, COMR personnel emailed you to obtain clarification of your records request, to no avail. Specifically, COMR attempted to inform you, as well as inquire, if you would like to amend your request with the knowledge that the CHP only uses drones for collision investigations, not for surveillance.

To date, we have not received a response; as such, the requested records are being collected based on your request as is. The process of reviewing, redacting, and routing through proper channels may take approximately 90 additional days. Once this process has been completed and the records have been properly reviewed, you will be notified and informed of the cost to obtain the requested records.

If you have any questions or if you need additional information, please contact this office at (916) 843-3310.

Sincerely,

S. RICHARDS, Captain
Commander
Office of Community Outreach and Media Relations

Janelle Fallan Dunham
Information Officer – Office of Community Outreach and Media Relations
California Highway Patrol
916/843-3314

Office of Community Outreach and Media Relations
P.O. Box 942898
Sacramento, CA 94298-0001
(916) 843-3310
(800) 735-2929 (TT/TDD)
(800) 735-2922 (Voice)

January 4, 2021

File No.: 013.A13673.A16501.2020-69

Beryl Lipton
requests@muckrock.com<mailto:requests@muckrock.com>

Dear Ms. Lipton:

The California Highway Patrol (CHP), Office of Community Outreach and Media Relations (COMR), received your California Public Records Act (CPRA) request, dated August 10 and received by this office August 11, 2020. On August 21, 2020, COMR notified you the 10-day response timeframe was being extended by an additional 14 days, as authorized by California Government Code 6253, subdivisions (c)(1) and (c)(3).

In your request you asked for the following:

All documents created from January 2010 through the date this request is processed related to the agency's use of airborne tools, vehicles, and weapons: aerial drones, remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs), remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs), unmanned aerials (UAs), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and/or unmanned aerial systems (UASs)(hereinafter "drones").

Please search specifically records in each of the below document categories. A response to each of the categories and items would be appreciated.

ACQUISITION AND PROCUREMENT

i) requests for proposals (RFPs), proposals/quotes submitted by vendors, contracts, leases, budget requests, project/equipment budgets, cost allocations or reimbursements for the purchase of drone equipment;

ii) Grant applications and award letters for drone equipment purchases;

iii) Insurance contracts for all drone equipment;

iv) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head or agency quartermaster (or individual responsible for equipment purchases and maintenance) and drone vendors, manufacturers or retailers;

v) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head and agency quartermaster (or individual responsible for equipment purchases and maintenance) regarding acquisition, lease or use of drone equipment;

vi) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head and the governor, mayor and city/town manager regarding the acquisition of drones;

AUTHORIZATION

vii) Applications (including all components and support documentation) for Certificates of Waiver/Authorization (COA) from the Federal Aviation Administration, as well as COA grant notifications and final agreement;

viii) Contracts for services related to drones, such as data storage, data analysis, image storage, image analysis, video storage, video analysis, operation, maintenance;

EQUIPMENT LOGS and ADD-ONS

i) Inventories/logs/lists/databases of all drones owned, leased or operated by or for the agency;

ii) Maintenance logs for all drones owned, leased or otherwise operated by or for the agency;

iii) records and logs related to any attachments or additional equipment used or designed to be used with the drones, including all license plate readers, video cameras, thermal cameras, data storage, Stingrays or cell phone simulators, etc.

POLICIES AND GUIDANCE

i) Policies, guidelines, protocols, manuals and/or instructions on the use/operation of drones and usage of data, images and video obtained from drone flights;

ii) Communications from the agency head, quartermaster (or individual responsible for overseeing equipment purchases and maintenance) on approved uses for drones;

iii) Memorandums of understanding (MOUs), memorandums of agreement (MOAs) or any other agreements or contracts with other government agencies, private corporations, organizations or individuals to share drone equipment, data, images or video or to operate drones on behalf of the agency;

TRAINING DOCUMENTS

i) Curriculum used to train drone operators and observers;

ii) Training log for all drone operators and observers;

iii) Certifications of training completion for all drone operators and observers;

iv) Contracts, purchase orders, budget requests or reimbursement orders for training sessions for all drone operators and observers;

USE DOCUMENTS AND DATA

i) Flight logs for all drone flights, including training flights;

ii) Flight logs transmitted to the Federal Aviation Administration pursuant to Certificate of Waiver/Authorization (COA) requirements;

iii) Reprimands relating to drones, including misuse of equipment and failure to properly maintain equipment.

On September 4, 2020, COMR notified you the Department has responsive records; the process of collecting, reviewing, redacting, and routing through proper channels would take up to an additional 30 days. On October 6, 2020, COMR notified you an additional 90 days were needed. At this time, COMR has determined the process of collecting, redacting, and reviewing this information will take an additional 30 days. Once the redactions have been completed and properly reviewed, you will be notified by email and informed of the cost to obtain the requested records. During this process, if COMR determines the review and redaction of the requested records will take longer than the estimated 30-day period, you will be notified. Conversely, if COMR accomplishes these tasks in less time, you will be notified by email and informed of the cost to obtain the requested records.

If you have any questions or if you need additional information, please contact this office at (916) 843-3310.
Sincerely,

F. CLADER
Director of Communications

[cid:image001.png@01D5F3C6.15CE1840]

Office of Community Outreach and Media Relations
P.O. Box 942898
Sacramento, CA 94298-0001
(916) 843-3310
(800) 735-2929 (TT/TDD)
(800) 735-2922 (Voice)

January 4, 2021

File No.: 013.A13673.A16501.2020-69

Beryl Lipton
requests@muckrock.com<mailto:requests@muckrock.com>

Dear Ms. Lipton:

The California Highway Patrol (CHP), Office of Community Outreach and Media Relations (COMR), received your California Public Records Act (CPRA) request, dated August 10 and received by this office August 11, 2020. On August 21, 2020, COMR notified you the 10-day response timeframe was being extended by an additional 14 days, as authorized by California Government Code 6253, subdivisions (c)(1) and (c)(3).

In your request you asked for the following:

All documents created from January 2010 through the date this request is processed related to the agency's use of airborne tools, vehicles, and weapons: aerial drones, remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs), remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs), unmanned aerials (UAs), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and/or unmanned aerial systems (UASs)(hereinafter “drones”).

Please search specifically records in each of the below document categories. A response to each of the categories and items would be appreciated.

ACQUISITION AND PROCUREMENT

i) requests for proposals (RFPs), proposals/quotes submitted by vendors, contracts, leases, budget requests, project/equipment budgets, cost allocations or reimbursements for the purchase of drone equipment;

ii) Grant applications and award letters for drone equipment purchases;

iii) Insurance contracts for all drone equipment;

iv) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head or agency quartermaster (or individual responsible for equipment purchases and maintenance) and drone vendors, manufacturers or retailers;

v) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head and agency quartermaster (or individual responsible for equipment purchases and maintenance) regarding acquisition, lease or use of drone equipment;

vi) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head and the governor, mayor and city/town manager regarding the acquisition of drones;

AUTHORIZATION

vii) Applications (including all components and support documentation) for Certificates of Waiver/Authorization (COA) from the Federal Aviation Administration, as well as COA grant notifications and final agreement;

viii) Contracts for services related to drones, such as data storage, data analysis, image storage, image analysis, video storage, video analysis, operation, maintenance;

EQUIPMENT LOGS and ADD-ONS

i) Inventories/logs/lists/databases of all drones owned, leased or operated by or for the agency;

ii) Maintenance logs for all drones owned, leased or otherwise operated by or for the agency;

iii) records and logs related to any attachments or additional equipment used or designed to be used with the drones, including all license plate readers, video cameras, thermal cameras, data storage, Stingrays or cell phone simulators, etc.

POLICIES AND GUIDANCE

i) Policies, guidelines, protocols, manuals and/or instructions on the use/operation of drones and usage of data, images and video obtained from drone flights;

ii) Communications from the agency head, quartermaster (or individual responsible for overseeing equipment purchases and maintenance) on approved uses for drones;

iii) Memorandums of understanding (MOUs), memorandums of agreement (MOAs) or any other agreements or contracts with other government agencies, private corporations, organizations or individuals to share drone equipment, data, images or video or to operate drones on behalf of the agency;

TRAINING DOCUMENTS

i) Curriculum used to train drone operators and observers;

ii) Training log for all drone operators and observers;

iii) Certifications of training completion for all drone operators and observers;

iv) Contracts, purchase orders, budget requests or reimbursement orders for training sessions for all drone operators and observers;

USE DOCUMENTS AND DATA

i) Flight logs for all drone flights, including training flights;

ii) Flight logs transmitted to the Federal Aviation Administration pursuant to Certificate of Waiver/Authorization (COA) requirements;

iii) Reprimands relating to drones, including misuse of equipment and failure to properly maintain equipment.

On September 4, 2020, COMR notified you the Department has responsive records; the process of collecting, reviewing, redacting, and routing through proper channels would take up to an additional 30 days. On October 6, 2020, COMR notified you an additional 90 days were needed. At this time, COMR has determined the process of collecting, redacting, and reviewing this information will take an additional 30 days. Once the redactions have been completed and properly reviewed, you will be notified by email and informed of the cost to obtain the requested records. During this process, if COMR determines the review and redaction of the requested records will take longer than the estimated 30-day period, you will be notified. Conversely, if COMR accomplishes these tasks in less time, you will be notified by email and informed of the cost to obtain the requested records.

If you have any questions or if you need additional information, please contact this office at (916) 843-3310.
Sincerely,

F. CLADER
Director of Communications

Janelle Fallan Dunham
Information Officer – Office of Community Outreach and Media Relations
California Highway Patrol
916/843-3310

Office of Community Outreach and Media Relations
P.O. Box 942898
Sacramento, CA 94298-0001
(916) 843-3310
(800) 735-2929 (TT/TDD)
(800) 735-2922 (Voice)

February 3, 2021

File No.: 013.A13673.A16501.2020-69

Beryl Lipton
requests@muckrock.com<mailto:requests@muckrock.com>

Dear Ms. Lipton:

The California Highway Patrol (CHP), Office of Community Outreach and Media Relations (COMR), received your California Public Records Act (CPRA) request, dated August 10 and received by this office August 11, 2020. On August 21, 2020, COMR notified you the 10-day response timeframe was being extended by an additional 14 days, as authorized by California Government Code 6253, subdivisions (c)(1) and (c)(3). On September 4 and October 5, COMR notified you that collection and review of responsive documents would take additional time.

In your request you asked for the following:

All documents created from January 2010 through the date this request is processed related to the agency's use of airborne tools, vehicles, and weapons: aerial drones, remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs), remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs), unmanned aerials (UAs), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and/or unmanned aerial systems (UASs)(hereinafter "drones").

Please search specifically records in each of the below document categories. A response to each of the categories and items would be appreciated.

ACQUISITION AND PROCUREMENT

i) requests for proposals (RFPs), proposals/quotes submitted by vendors, contracts, leases, budget requests, project/equipment budgets, cost allocations or reimbursements for the purchase of drone equipment;

ii) Grant applications and award letters for drone equipment purchases;

iii) Insurance contracts for all drone equipment;

iv) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head or agency quartermaster (or individual responsible for equipment purchases and maintenance) and drone vendors, manufacturers or retailers;

v) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head and agency quartermaster (or individual responsible for equipment purchases and maintenance) regarding acquisition, lease or use of drone equipment;

vi) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head and the governor, mayor and city/town manager regarding the acquisition of drones;

AUTHORIZATION

vii) Applications (including all components and support documentation) for Certificates of Waiver/Authorization (COA) from the Federal Aviation Administration, as well as COA grant notifications and final agreement;

viii) Contracts for services related to drones, such as data storage, data analysis, image storage, image analysis, video storage, video analysis, operation, maintenance;

EQUIPMENT LOGS and ADD-ONS

i) Inventories/logs/lists/databases of all drones owned, leased or operated by or for the agency;

ii) Maintenance logs for all drones owned, leased or otherwise operated by or for the agency;

iii) records and logs related to any attachments or additional equipment used or designed to be used with the drones, including all license plate readers, video cameras, thermal cameras, data storage, Stingrays or cell phone simulators, etc.

POLICIES AND GUIDANCE

i) Policies, guidelines, protocols, manuals and/or instructions on the use/operation of drones and usage of data, images and video obtained from drone flights;

ii) Communications from the agency head, quartermaster (or individual responsible for overseeing equipment purchases and maintenance) on approved uses for drones;

iii) Memorandums of understanding (MOUs), memorandums of agreement (MOAs) or any other agreements or contracts with other government agencies, private corporations, organizations or individuals to share drone equipment, data, images or video or to operate drones on behalf of the agency;

TRAINING DOCUMENTS

i) Curriculum used to train drone operators and observers;

ii) Training log for all drone operators and observers;

iii) Certifications of training completion for all drone operators and observers;

iv) Contracts, purchase orders, budget requests or reimbursement orders for training sessions for all drone operators and observers;

USE DOCUMENTS AND DATA

i) Flight logs for all drone flights, including training flights;

ii) Flight logs transmitted to the Federal Aviation Administration pursuant to Certificate of Waiver/Authorization (COA) requirements;

iii) Reprimands relating to drones, including misuse of equipment and failure to properly maintain equipment.

On September 23, 2020 and again on September 29, 2020, COMR personnel emailed you to obtain clarification of your records request, to no avail. Specifically, COMR attempted to inform you, as well as inquire if you would like to amend your request with the knowledge that the CHP only uses drones for collision investigations, not for surveillance.

To date, we have not received a response; as such, the requested records are being collected based on your request as is. The Office of COMR has determined the Department possesses records responsive to your request. The requested records are being collected and will require redactions to comply with various provisions of the law. The process of redacting this information will take approximately 60 days. Once the redactions have been completed and properly reviewed, you will be notified and informed of the cost to obtain the requested records.

If you have any questions or if you need additional information, please contact this office at (916) 843-3310.

Sincerely,

S. RICHARDS, Captain
Commander
Office of Community Outreach and Media Relations

[cid:image001.png@01D5F3C6.15CE1840]

Office of Community Outreach and Media Relations
P.O. Box 942898
Sacramento, CA 94298-0001
(916) 843-3310
(800) 735-2929 (TT/TDD)
(800) 735-2922 (Voice)

February 26, 2021

File No.: 013.A13673.A16501.2020-69

Beryl Lipton
requests@muckrock.com<mailto:requests@muckrock.com>

Dear Ms. Lipton:

The California Highway Patrol (CHP), Office of Community Outreach and Media Relations (COMR), received your California Public Records Act (CPRA) request, dated August 10, 2020, on August 11, 2020. On August 21, 2020, COMR notified you the 10-day response timeframe was being extended by an additional 14 days, as authorized by California Government Code 6253, subdivisions (c)(1) and (c)(3). On September 4, 2020; October 5, 2020; January 4, 2021; and February 3, 2021, COMR notified you that collection and review of responsive documents was estimated to take additional time. Please accept this correspondence as a determination of your request.

In your request you asked for the following, verbatim:

All documents created from January 2010 through the date this request is processed related to the agency's use of airborne tools, vehicles, and weapons: aerial drones, remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs), remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), unmanned aerials (UAs), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and/or unmanned aerial systems (UASs)(hereinafter "drones").

Please search specifically records in each of the below document categories. A response to each of the categories and items would be appreciated.

ACQUISITION AND PROCUREMENT

i) Requests for proposals (RFPs), proposals/quotes submitted by vendors, contracts, leases, budget requests, project/equipment budgets, cost allocations or reimbursements for the purchase of drone equipment;

ii) Grant applications and award letters for drone equipment purchases;

iii) Insurance contracts for all drone equipment;

iv) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head or agency quartermaster (or individual responsible for equipment purchases and maintenance) and drone vendors, manufacturers or retailers;

v) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head and agency quartermaster (or individual responsible for equipment purchases and maintenance) regarding acquisition, lease or use of drone equipment;

vi) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head and the governor, mayor and city/town manager regarding the acquisition of drones;

AUTHORIZATION

vii) Applications (including all components and support documentation) for Certificates of Waiver/Authorization (COA) from the Federal Aviation Administration, as well as COA grant notifications and final agreement;

viii) Contracts for services related to drones, such as data storage, data analysis, image storage, image analysis, video storage, video analysis, operation, maintenance;

EQUIPMENT LOGS and ADD-ONS

i) Inventories/logs/lists/databases of all drones owned, leased or operated by or for the agency;

ii) Maintenance logs for all drones owned, leased or otherwise operated by or for the agency;

iii) Records and logs related to any attachments or additional equipment used or designed to be used with the drones, including all license plate readers, video cameras, thermal cameras, data storage, Stingrays or cell phone simulators, etc.

POLICIES AND GUIDANCE

i) Policies, guidelines, protocols, manuals and/or instructions on the use/operation of drones and usage of data, images and video obtained from drone flights;

ii) Communications from the agency head, quartermaster (or individual responsible for overseeing equipment purchases and maintenance) on approved uses for drones;

iii) Memorandums of understanding (MOUs), memorandums of agreement (MOAs) or any other agreements or contracts with other government agencies, private corporations, organizations or individuals to share drone equipment, data, images or video or to operate drones on behalf of the agency;

TRAINING DOCUMENTS

i) Curriculum used to train drone operators and observers;

ii) Training log for all drone operators and observers;

iii) Certifications of training completion for all drone operators and observers;

iv) Contracts, purchase orders, budget requests or reimbursement orders for training sessions for all drone operators and observers;

USE DOCUMENTS AND DATA

i) Flight logs for all drone flights, including training flights;

ii) Flight logs transmitted to the Federal Aviation Administration pursuant to Certificate of Waiver/Authorization (COA) requirements;

iii) Reprimands relating to drones, including misuse of equipment and failure to properly maintain equipment.

As your request relates to acquisition and procurement, specifically proposals/quotes submitted by vendors and communications between the individual responsible for equipment purchases and maintenance and drone vendors, the Office of COMR has determined the Department possesses responsive records.

As your request relates to authorization, specifically contracts for services related to drones, the Office of COMR has determined the Department possesses responsive records.

As your request relates to equipment logs and add-ons, specifically inventories and maintenance logs, the Office of COMR has determined the Department possesses responsive records.

As your request relates to policies and guidance, specifically policies, guidelines, protocols, manuals and/or instructions on the use/operation of drones, the Office of COMR has determined the Department possesses responsive records.

As your request relates to training documents, specifically reimbursement orders for training sessions for all drone operators and observers; the Office of COMR has determined the Department possesses responsive records.

As your request relates to use documents and data, specifically flight logs for all drone flights, including training flights; the Office of COMR has determined the Department possesses responsive records.

As your request relates to all additional items listed within your request, the Office of COMR has determined the Department does not possess responsive records.

The Office of COMR has determined the Department possesses records responsive to your request, consisting of approximately 15,000 pages. To offset its duplication costs, the Department currently charges requesters a duplication fee of $5.00 per compact disc. We estimate that duplication of these records will require two compact discs. Therefore, if you wish to receive this set of records, please forward a check or money order in the amount of $10.00 to:

California Highway Patrol
Office of Community Outreach and Media Relations
P.O. Box 942898
Sacramento, CA 94298-0001
Attention: Janelle Dunham

Please make the check or money order payable to the "California Highway Patrol" and note PRA #2020-69 on the memo line. Once payment is received, these records will be prepared and sent to you on an expedited basis.

If you would like to receive these documents in another format, such as paper records, or review them in person, please contact COMR to discuss.
If you have any questions or if you need additional information, please contact me or Information Officer Janelle Dunham of this office at (916) 843-3310.

Sincerely,

F. CLADER
Director of Communications

[cid:image001.png@01D5F3C6.15CE1840]