Covid Booking Procedures (Sheriff)

Dear Requester:

Thank you for writing to the Chester County Office of Open Records. On June 7, 2021, the Open Records Office for the County of Chester (“County”) received a request for information pursuant to the Pennsylvania Right to Know Law, 65 P.S. §§ 67.101, et seq. (“RTKL”), requesting the following:

“Pursuant to the Pennsylvania Right to Know Act, I hereby request the following records:
Any correspondence, memos or other written guidance related to changes in booking procedures during Covid. Please include any information related to fingerprinting and DNA swabbing, as well as other booking protocols.
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 5 business days, as the statute requires.”

Pursuant to Section 902(a) of the RTKL, the County requires an additional thirty (30) days to respond because one or more of the following apply:

☒ The request requires redaction in accordance with Section 706 of the RTKL.
☐ The request requires the retrieval of a record stored in a remote location.
☒ A timely response cannot be accomplished due to bona fide staffing limitations.
☒ A legal review is needed to determine whether the record is subject to access.
☐ The requester has not complied with the Agency’s policies regarding access to records.
☐ The requester refuses to pay applicable fees authorized by the RTKL.
☒ The extent or nature of the request precludes a response within the required time period.

The County expects to respond to your request on or before July 11, 2021. Pursuant to Section 901 of the RTKL, all applicable fees shall be paid prior in order to receive access to any responsive records if the estimated fees are expected to exceed $100.00. The County has not yet determined if any fees will apply or exceed $100.00, but, if so, will provide a good-faith estimate of duplication fees as soon as possible.

Sincerely,
Colleen Frens

Colleen Frens
She, her, hers
Assistant Solicitor
County of Chester Solicitor’s Office
313 W. Market Street, Suite 6702
West Chester, PA 19380
T 610.344.6195, F 610.344.5995
cfrens@chesco.org<mailto:cfrens@chesco.org>

Dear Requestor,

Please see the attached letter and records in response to your request.

Sincerely,

Faith Mattox-Baldini
Assistant Solicitor
Chester County Solicitor’s Office
313 W. Market Street, Suite 6702
West Chester, PA 19380
Phone: (610) 344-6195