Local level SAEK policies/data (Contra Costa County)

Vanessa Nason filed this request with the Office of the Sheriff - Contra Costa County of Contra Costa County, CA.
Submitted April 21, 2017
Status
Completed

Communications

From: Vanessa Nason

Subject: California Public Records Act Request: Local level SAEK policies/data (Contra Costa County)

Email

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the California Public Records Act (California Government Code §§ 6250), I hereby request the following records:

Any and all statistics, data, reports, audits, policies, and procedures pertaining to the following items regarding sexual assault evidence collection (SAEC) kits (also known as "rape kits") and processing:

• all standard operating procedures regarding the SAEC process

• any written policies or procedures regarding department practices on the acquisition of or handling of rape kit evidence, including protocols for its collection, testing, and delegation and transfer to all other possibly relevant locations, laboratories, or agencies

• the number of kits collected and booked into evidence from the period of January 1, 2000 through the date this request is processed

• the number of kits that have been processed by a public or private crime or forensic laboratory or equivalent processing location from the period of January 1, 2000 through the date this request is processed

• the number of unprocessed kits in any storage facilities currently under the department’s jurisdiction and control, including those held by medical personnel or at external laboratory locations

• any materials regarding the status or ultimate disposition of cases in which a kit was collected. Please include all available segregable data.

• all audits involving this agency regarding the collection or backlog of SAEC kits

• all proposed alterations or yet-to-be-implemented changes to the policies and procedures regarding the collection, testing, and use of SAEC kits

If there any questions about this request, please feel free to call us at the MuckRock office at 617-299-1832.

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.

Sincerely,

Vanessa Nason

From: Muckrock Staff

Subject: RE: California Public Records Act Request: Local level SAEK policies/data (Contra Costa County)

Mail

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the California Public Records Act (California Government Code §§ 6250), I hereby request the following records:

Any and all statistics, data, reports, audits, policies, and procedures pertaining to the following items regarding sexual assault evidence collection (SAEC) kits (also known as "rape kits") and processing:

• all standard operating procedures regarding the SAEC process

• any written policies or procedures regarding department practices on the acquisition of or handling of rape kit evidence, including protocols for its collection, testing, and delegation and transfer to all other possibly relevant locations, laboratories, or agencies

• the number of kits collected and booked into evidence from the period of January 1, 2000 through the date this request is processed

• the number of kits that have been processed by a public or private crime or forensic laboratory or equivalent processing location from the period of January 1, 2000 through the date this request is processed

• the number of unprocessed kits in any storage facilities currently under the department’s jurisdiction and control, including those held by medical personnel or at external laboratory locations

• any materials regarding the status or ultimate disposition of cases in which a kit was collected. Please include all available segregable data.

• all audits involving this agency regarding the collection or backlog of SAEC kits

• all proposed alterations or yet-to-be-implemented changes to the policies and procedures regarding the collection, testing, and use of SAEC kits

If there any questions about this request, please feel free to call us at the MuckRock office at 617-299-1832.

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.

Sincerely,

Vanessa Nason

From: Office of the Sheriff - Contra Costa County

Subject: Re: Public Records Act Request

Email

Dear Ms. Nason:

I am writing in response to your letter dated December 29, 2017, received by the office of the Sheriff on January 2, 2018, which you state is a follow-up to a previous request. Please note that our office has no record of receiving a previous request. Pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Gov't. Code § 6250 et seq.), you have requested certain records relating to sexual assault evidence collection kits and processing.

We require additional time to respond. Pursuant to Gov't. Code § 6253(c), the additional time is necessary in order "to search for and collect the requested records from field facilities or other establishments that are separate from the office processing the request."

We anticipate that we shall be able to respond to your Public Records Act request with a fourteen-day extension from the date upon which the response would otherwise have been due. A response would ordinarily be due on or before January 12, 2018. Thus, we anticipate a response will be sent to you on or before January 26, 2018. This extension is made in order to allow the time necessary for proper consideration and processing of your request. This extension letter should not be read to imply that a determination has been made in this office concerning whether the Public Records Act requires the release of the requested documents.

Sincerely,

Carlye Slover
Sheriff's Specialist
Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff
Professional Standards Division
651 Pine Street, 7th Floor
Martinez, CA 94553
925-335-1532

From: Office of the Sheriff - Contra Costa County

Subject: PRA Response

Email

Dear Ms. Nason:

I am writing in response to your letter dated December 29, 2017, received by the Office of the Sheriff on January 2, 2018, which you state is a follow-up to a previous request. Please note that our office has no record of receiving a previous request. With respect to the current request, our office sent out an extension letter on January 12, 2017 extending our time in which to respond to your request. Pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Gov't. Code § 6250 et seq.), you have requested certain records relating to sexual assault evidence collection kits and processing.

Our response to your request is as follows:

You requested "all standard operating procedures regarding the SAEC [Sexual Assault Evidence Collection] process." Please see the attached Office of the Sheriff Biology Unit policy, BIO.1.BIO.01 - Case Acceptance and Prioritization.

You requested "any written policies or procedures regarding department practices on the acquisition of or handling of rape kit evidence." Please refer to the above policy as well as the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff Policy 1.06.35 - Evidence Handling, also attached.

You requested "the number of kits collected and booked into evidence from the period of January 1, 2000 through the date this request is processed [January 9, 2018]." The Office of the Sheriff booked 609 kits into evidence for the time-period requested.

You requested "the number of kits that have been processed by a public or private crime or forensic laboratory...from the period of January 1, 2000 through the date this request is processed [January 9, 2018]." The Office of the Sheriff sent 239 kits to an outside laboratory for processing and 239 kits were processed in our forensic laboratory during the time-period requested.

With respect to the remaining 131 kits, these relate to cases with full adjudication, no charges filed, victim recantation, or kits transferred to other agencies.

You requested "the number of unprocessed kits in any storage facilities currently under the department's jurisdiction." The Office of the Sheriff currently has no unprocessed kits.

You requested "any materials regarding the status or ultimate disposition of cases in which a kit was collected." The Office of the Sheriff does not maintain a document that tracks a kit through the legal process. Accordingly, the Office of the Sheriff has no documents responsive to your request.

You requested "all audits involving this agency regarding the collection or backlog of SAEC kits." The Office of the Sheriff has no documentation of audits regarding the collection or backlog of such kits.

You requested "all proposed alterations or yet-to-be-implemented changes to the policies and procedures regarding the collection, testing, and use of SAEC kits." The Office of the Sheriff has no documents responsive to your request.

I trust this fulfills your Public Records Act request.

Sincerely,

Carlye Slover
Sheriff's Specialist
Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff
Professional Standards Division
651 Pine Street, 7th Floor
Martinez, CA 94553
925-335-1532

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