Mobile Biometric Technologies (Fridley Police Department)

Mr. Niblack
I apologize for any delay in responding; I am not aware of any previous request from you regarding this issue.
In response to your specific data request(s):

1) Purchasing and procurement documents, including but not limited to: purchase orders, RFPs, responses to RFPs, invoices and contracts

The Fridley Police Department does not possess any of the referenced documentation because the Fridley Police Department has not purchased or procured mobile biometric technologies.

2) Policy, procedural, and training documents, including but not limited to: use policies, standard operating procedures, training materials, presentations, privacy assessments, data retention policies, and other guidelines

The Fridley Police Department does not possess any of the referenced documentation because the Fridley Police Department does not use mobile biometric technologies.

3) Programming documents, including but not limited to: funding opportunity announcements, grant applications and grantor status/progress reports, reports to legislative bodies, annual reports

The Fridley Police Department does not possess any of the referenced documentation because the Fridley Police Department has not obtained funding to purchase or procure mobile biometric technologies.

4) Audit documents, including but not limited to: audits of the system, misuse reports, and reports to oversight bodies

The Fridley Police Department does not possess any of the referenced documentation because the Fridley Police Department does not use mobile biometric technologies.

In your response, I would appreciate that you individually address each of the above categories of documents individually.

In addition to the above classes of documents, I am also seeking the following information:

- The total number of individuals whose biometric data has been collected over the last three years,

Zero (0); the Fridley Police Department has not collected any biometric data on individuals (the Fridley Police Department does not use biometric technologies).
- The total number of [biometric data points] contained in the agency’s database

Zero (0); the Fridley Police Department has no biometric data points in its database because the Fridley Police Department has not collected any biometric data on individuals (the Fridley Police Department does not use biometric technologies).

- The retention period for biometric data

Biometric data is not listed in the City data retention schedule; the Fridley Police Department does not collect biometric data (the Fridley Police Department does not use biometric technologies).
- The number of mobile biometrics devices purchased and in use

Zero (0); the Fridley Police Department has no mobile biometric devices (the Fridley Police Department does not use mobile biometric technologies).
- The total number of authorized users of the mobile biometrics devices

Zero (0); the Fridley Police Department has no mobile biometric device users (the Fridley Police Department does not use mobile biometric technologies).
- Which external agencies and entities have access to biometric data in the database and under what conditions,

No external agencies or entities have access; the Fridley Police Department does not collect biometric data (the Fridley Police Department does not use biometric technologies).

- Whether biometric data is combined with biographic data such as name and address in the database, and

No biometric data is combined with biographic data; the Fridley Police Department does not collect biometric data (the Fridley Police Department does not use biometric technologies).
- The process by which data is entered into the database

No such process exists; the Fridley Police Department does not collect biometric data (the Fridley Police Department does not use biometric technologies).

Please let me know if you have any other questions regarding the Fridley Police Department’s use of mobile biometric technologies.

Bob Rewitzer | Captain
Fridley Police Department | 6431 University Avenue N.E. Fridley, MN 55432
Technical Support Division
Administration, Finance & Regulatory Services | Investigations Unit | Information Services Unit | Special Projects Unit
763.572.3637

[Patch badge]

August 27, 2015
Fridley Police Department
Fridley City Hall
ATTN: Police
6431 University Avenue NE
Fridley, MN 55432

This is a follow up to a previous request:

To Whom It May Concern:

I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on Aug. 12, 2015. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed.

Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.

---
On Aug. 12, 2015:
Dear Custodian of Records/Public Records Coordinator,

I am collaborating with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a public interest group, and the media organization MuckRock, to survey how law enforcement agencies deploy mobile biometric technologies.

Mobile biometric technologies can be defined as any mobile device or mobile app used by law enforcement agencies to scan, capture, analyze, store, or automatically recognize any physical or biological characteristic of a subject. Commonly used mobile biometric technologies include fingerprint/thumbprint collection, facial recognition, scans of the iris or other elements of the human eye, Rapid DNA, and tattoo recognition. (Please see below for examples.)

Pursuant to Minnesota Data Practices Act, I request the following records pertaining to mobile biometric technologies, including those listed above, as well as other biometric technologies I have not identified:

1) Purchasing and procurement documents, including but not limited to: purchase orders, RFPs, responses to RFPs, invoices and contracts

2) Policy, procedural, and training documents, including but not limited to: use policies, standard operating procedures, training materials, presentations, privacy assessments, data retention policies, and other guidelines

3) Programming documents, including but not limited to: funding opportunity announcements, grant applications and grantor status/progress reports, reports to legislative bodies, annual reports

4) Audit documents, including but not limited to: audits of the system, misuse reports, and reports to oversight bodies

In your response, I would appreciate that you individually address each of the above categories of documents individually.

In addition to the above classes of documents, I am also seeking the following information:

- The total number of individuals whose biometric data has been collected over the last three years,
- The total number of [biometric data points] contained in the agency’s database
- The retention period for biometric data
- The number of mobile biometrics devices purchased and in use
- The total number of authorized users of the mobile biometrics devices
- Which external agencies and entities have access to biometric data in the database and under what conditions,
- Whether biometric data is combined with biographic data such as name and address in the database, and
- The process by which data is entered into the database

These documents will be published online and inform the public dialog over police technology. Because of the great public interest in these issues, I ask that you waive any fees. If your agency is unable to do so, please contact me with an estimate of the costs.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Alan Niblack

Examples:

Mobile facial recognition
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/nov/08/cir-facial-recognition-software-san-diego/

Mobile fingerprint readers
http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_arch&article_id=1824&issue_id=62009

Mobile iris scanners
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/20/us-crime-identification-iris-idUSTRE76J4A120110720

Rapid DNA
http://www.policemag.com/channel/technology/articles/2014/02/speeding-up-dna-analysis.aspx

Mobile Tattoo Recognition
http://www.lawofficer.com/articles/print/volume-10/issue-4/features/new-smartphone-app-interprets.html

Filed via MuckRock.com
E-mail (Preferred): requests@muckrock.com<mailto:requests@muckrock.com>

For mailed responses, please address (see note):
MuckRock
DEPT MR 20292
PO Box 55819
Boston, MA 02205-5819

PLEASE NOTE: This request was filed by a MuckRock staff reporter. Also note that improperly addressed (i.e., with the requester's name rather than "MuckRock News" and the department number) requests might be returned as undeliverable.
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