Police Data Collection Request (2022)

Dear Samuel Sinyangwe:
Thank you for submitting a records request to the City of Charleston Police Department to be processed under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Your request was received on October 15, 2023, and is being processed in accordance with S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-10, et seq. Your request has been assigned the reference number L010186-101523 for tracking purposes.
Records Requested: To Whom It May Concern:

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

1. the total number of use of force incidents in 2022.
2. the total number of use of force incidents, separated by type of force, in 2022 (for example, information that specifies the number of taser incidents in 2022, baton incidents in 2022, etc.)
3. the total number of civilian complaints against law enforcement that were reported and the total number sustained for 2022.
4. the total number of civilian complaints alleging law enforcement use of excessive force that were reported and the total number sustained for 2022.
5. the total number of civilian complaints alleging biased policing or racial profiling that were reported and the total number sustained for 2022.
6. the total number of civilian complaints alleging criminal conduct that were reported and the total number sustained for 2022.
7. the total number of officer-involved shootings in 2022, both fatal and non-fatal.
8. the total number of people who police used force against, broken down by race/ethnicity, in 2022.

When available, I would appreciate being sent individualized data in this request in spreadsheet format. If individualized data are unavailable, please send information that includes aggregate statistics for the item instead.

Note that my requests for civilian complaints are specifically for civilian complaints, please do not include complaints filed by one officer/the department against another officer.

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 15 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Samuel Sinyangwe

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The City of Charleston Police Department will provide a formal acknowledgment within 10 business days informing you of the availability of the non-exempt “public records” that you have requested and providing a time and cost estimate to make those public records available to you. For records more than 24 months old, the City has 20 business days to respond on availability and cost. We do not guarantee that a records search will result in any responsive records being located.
Fulfillment of FOIA requests is subject to fees for search, retrieval and redaction, as well as fees for providing copies of documents. A deposit of twenty-five (25%) percent of the total reasonably anticipated cost for fulfilling the request may be required prior to searching for or making copies of records. The full amount of the total cost must be paid at the time of the production of the request.
If the request is granted, the records will be furnished or made available for inspection or copying no later than thirty (30) calendar days from the date on which the formal acknowledgement was provided, unless the records are more than two (2) years old, in which case they will be made available no later than thirty-five (35) calendar days from the date on which the formal acknowledgement was provided. If a deposit is required, the records will be furnished or made available for inspection or copying no later than thirty (30) calendar days from the date on which the deposit is received, unless the records are more than two (2) years old, in which case they will be made available no later than thirty-five (35) calendar days from the date on which the deposit was received to fulfill the request. The Charleston Police Department may impose reasonable rules concerning time and place of access to records.
* Please note that pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. §30-2-50, obtaining or using public records for commercial solicitation directed to any person in this State is prohibited. A person who knowingly violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined an amount not to exceed five hundred dollars or imprisoned for a term not to exceed one year, or both.
We do not make public, and will not produce in response to your request, those records that are exempt from disclosure under S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-40 or other state and federal laws.

You'll receive a formal acknowledgment e-mail from the City within 10 business days (or within 20 business days for records more than 24 months old) when availability and cost have been determined.

Sincerely,
Charleston Police Department

--- Please respond above this line ---

RE: FOIA REQUEST of October 15, 2023, Reference # L010186-101523

Dear Samuel Sinyangwe,

The Charleston Police Department received a FOIA request from you on October 15, 2023 for the following records:
“To Whom It May Concern:

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

1. the total number of use of force incidents in 2022.
2. the total number of use of force incidents, separated by type of force, in 2022 (for example, information that specifies the number of taser incidents in 2022, baton incidents in 2022, etc.)
3. the total number of civilian complaints against law enforcement that were reported and the total number sustained for 2022.
4. the total number of civilian complaints alleging law enforcement use of excessive force that were reported and the total number sustained for 2022.
5. the total number of civilian complaints alleging biased policing or racial profiling that were reported and the total number sustained for 2022.
6. the total number of civilian complaints alleging criminal conduct that were reported and the total number sustained for 2022.
7. the total number of officer-involved shootings in 2022, both fatal and non-fatal.
8. the total number of people who police used force against, broken down by race/ethnicity, in 2022.

When available, I would appreciate being sent individualized data in this request in spreadsheet format. If individualized data are unavailable, please send information that includes aggregate statistics for the item instead.

Note that my requests for civilian complaints are specifically for civilian complaints, please do not include complaints filed by one officer/the department against another officer.

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 15 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Samuel Sinyangwe

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/

The Charleston Police Department has reviewed its files and has located responsive records to your request. Please log in to the FOIA Records Request Center at the following link to retrieve the appropriate responsive documents.
Police FOIA Request - L010186-101523

This completes the Charleston Police Department response to your FOIA request and this matter is now considered closed.

You may reply to this email if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Carmen Grimes

Charleston Police Department