BI Incorporated "VeriWatch" Contracts (Dallas County District Attorney)

Dear Mack DeGeurin,

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Dear Mack DeGeurin:
Dallas County received your request for information seeking:
Records Requested: To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Texas Public Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

I am writing to request access to all records, including but not limited to contracts and emails, related to BI Incorporated and/or its smartwatch device called the "VeriWatch." This request is made under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552. I am interested in learning more about the agency's use of the VeriWatch device, including how it is being used, how much it costs, and what safeguards are in place to protect the privacy of individuals who are subject to its use. Specifically, I am interested in any records that discuss:

The purpose of the agency's contract with BI Incorporated.
The terms of the contract, including the cost of the VeriWatch devices and the duration of the contract.
How the agency is using the VeriWatch devices.
The types of data that the VeriWatch devices collect and how that data is used.
The safeguards that the agency has in place to protect the privacy of individuals who are subject to the use of the VeriWatch devices.

I would appreciate it if you could provide me with copies of all responsive records within 30 days of receiving this request. If you have any questions or require any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me at mdegeurin@gizmodo.com. I am a tech policy reporter at Gizmodo where I have experience reporting on policing technology. I believe these records are in the public interest and I plan to write about them for our large audience of readers. As such, I would like to respectfully request to have fees for these documents waived. If you have any questions about my media status, please contact me.

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 10 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Mack DeGeurin

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/
Your request will be processed in accordance with the Texas Public Information Act ("TPIA"), with full consideration of the rights and responsibilities afforded to requestors and to governmental bodies under the TPIA.
If you have any questions or concerns, please reply to this email and a Dallas County representative will respond accordingly.
Thank you,
Yaressy Pritchett
Paralegal

--- You may respond above this line ---

RE: PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST, Reference # D014534-102323

Dear Mack DeGeurin,

On October 23, 2023, Dallas County received your request for information seeking:
Records maintained by the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office.

“To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Texas Public Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

I am writing to request access to all records, including but not limited to contracts and emails, related to BI Incorporated and/or its smartwatch device called the "VeriWatch." This request is made under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552. I am interested in learning more about the agency's use of the VeriWatch device, including how it is being used, how much it costs, and what safeguards are in place to protect the privacy of individuals who are subject to its use. Specifically, I am interested in any records that discuss:

The purpose of the agency's contract with BI Incorporated.
The terms of the contract, including the cost of the VeriWatch devices and the duration of the contract.
How the agency is using the VeriWatch devices.
The types of data that the VeriWatch devices collect and how that data is used.
The safeguards that the agency has in place to protect the privacy of individuals who are subject to the use of the VeriWatch devices.

I would appreciate it if you could provide me with copies of all responsive records within 30 days of receiving this request. If you have any questions or require any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me at mdegeurin@gizmodo.com. I am a tech policy reporter at Gizmodo where I have experience reporting on policing technology. I believe these records are in the public interest and I plan to write about them for our large audience of readers. As such, I would like to respectfully request to have fees for these documents waived. If you have any questions about my media status, please contact me.

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 10 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Mack DeGeurin

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

Your request has been forwarded to the Civil Division of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office for processing pursuant to the Texas Public Information Act (“TPIA”).

The Dallas County District Attorney’s Office – Criminal Division (“DA’s Office”) was consulted regarding your request. The DA’s office made a good faith effort to relate your request to information collected, assembled, and maintained by Dallas County and performed a diligent search for the records you seek. No records responsive to your request were identified or located.

With this response—that no records were identified or located—our office will consider your request a closed matter.

Thank you,

Yaressy Pritchett
Paralegal
Dallas County District Attorney's Office - Civil Division, PIA Section