Firearm Project, Indiana State Police
Submitted | Oct. 31, 2016 |
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Communications
From: Ben Hallman
Hi,
Pursuant to the state’s public records law, I am requesting access to and copies of records from your agency as part of our continuing coverage of gun trafficking. I have broken the request into three parts, each of which details the records that we are seeking. As expressed below, the date range for each part of this request is January 1, 2010 to the present:
1) Detailed information on stolen guns
It is our understanding that law enforcement agencies keep detailed records about firearms that were reported stolen by the citizens they serve. We are therefore requesting the following for each case of reported firearm theft in your jurisdiction:
-- The police report number and/or incident number for the firearm theft
-- The serial number, make, model, caliber, type and any other descriptive information for each firearm that was reported stolen
We would appreciate if this data was provided in a spreadsheet. If a spreadsheet is provided, please provide any record layout and/or code sheets.
The date range for this part is January 1, 2010 to the present.
2) Detailed information about crime guns
Second, it is our understanding that law enforcement agencies maintain detailed records about firearms that were used in crimes, recovered at crimes scenes or seized during investigations in their jurisdictions, including the make, model and serial number of each gun. We are therefore requesting the following:
-- The following records regarding firearms used in crimes in your agency’s jurisdiction, recovered at crime scenes or seized during investigations: the make, model, and serial number of each gun; the date of the crime; the police report number for the crime; the type of crime the firearm was used in; and the address where the crime was committed.
If your agency maintains a spreadsheet or database containing these records, we ask that you please provide that database. I would be grateful if this data was collated into a spreadsheet where each row represents one case, the same as part 1) “Detailed information about stolen guns.”
I would like to note that we are not at this time seeking copies of police reports or any other investigative records associated with these crimes; we are only seeking information about the firearms used and some general information about the crimes that is generally released to the public.
The date range for this part is also January 1, 2010 to the present.
3) Detailed information on lost, stolen or unaccounted for law enforcement guns
Finally, it is our understanding that law enforcement agencies maintain detailed records about firearms that, while under the control and/or in the possession of their employees, went missing, were lost or stolen, or are otherwise accounted for. Therefore we request the following:
-- Any and all records of department-issued firearms that were lost, stolen, went missing or are otherwise accounted for.
-- If your department does not issue firearms, then we ask for any and all records of firearms that were lost, stolen, went missing or otherwise became unaccounted for while under the control and/or in the possession of one of your employees.
The records should include but not be limited to the following:
• The make, model, serial number and caliber of each lost or stolen firearm
• The location and address where the firearm was stolen
• The date of the loss or theft.
• The date the lost or theft was reported
• Whether each lost or stolen firearm was recovered
• If the lost or stolen firearm was recovered, the date and location of the recovery
• A description of how the firearm was lost or stolen
• Whether negligence on the part of the employee is/was suspected in the loss or theft of the firearm
• Whether the employee in control of the firearm retired, was terminated or otherwise left the department, and if so, the date and circumstances of the employee’s departure and whether his or her gun was retrieved and/or recovered.
• Any other individual reports and findings on the individual lost or stolen firearms
The records should include but not be limited to databases, reports, memos, internal affairs investigations, emails or other correspondence, and/or any other records.
The date range for this part is also January 1, 2010 to the present.
Please label each record in a clear manner. As a news organization, we will be making information obtained from this request available to the general public and are not requesting it for commercial purposes.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you informed me of the total charges before completing my request. We request that if you send an invoice, you make it out to The Trace.
I would prefer the requested information be sent via an e-mail attachment if available, or a mailed CD-ROM if not. If standard mail must be used, we ask that you send the request to the following address:
The Trace (at WeWork)
Attn: Brian Freskos
428 Broadway
New York, NY 10013
Thank you in advance for your help with this request. I look forward to receiving your response. If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact me on my cell phone: (919) 522-6354
Sincerely,
Brian Freskos
From: ISP Public Records
Mr. Freskos,
The Indiana State Police has received your request found below. At this time we are reviewing your request and searching our agency records. Please allow up to 60 more days for our agency response to your request as it will take us a while to compile all of the information you have requested. Should you have any questions, I can be reached at the contact information found below.
Thank you,
Sarah Graham
Paralegal
Indiana State Police Legal Office
100 N. Senate Ave., Room N340
Indianapolis, IN 46204
sgraham@isp.IN.gov<mailto:sgraham@isp.IN.gov>
(317) 233-9026
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~WRD000
From: Ben Hallman
Thank you Sarah
From: ISP Public Records
Mr. Freskos,
Your request was made to the Indiana State Police this Monday on October 31st. Upon reviewing your request, we found that it will take ISP longer than the statutory 7 days to search for and compile the records you have requested due to the volume of your request. This Monday on October 31st, I sent you a response informing you that ISP will need up to 60 more days to respond. Four days have passed since you made your original request this Monday. Feel free to modify your request with reasonable particularity if you do not want to wait that long for our agency response. Otherwise, please be aware that we are reviewing your request and searching our agency records. ISP will not continue to respond to multiple inquiries regarding the status of your request. However, I will do my best to keep you updated on the progress of your request.
Should you have any questions, I can be reached at the contact information found below.
Thank you,
Sarah Graham
Paralegal
Indiana State Police Legal Office
100 N. Senate Ave., Room N340
Indianapolis, IN 46204
sgraham@isp.IN.gov<mailto:sgraham@isp.IN.gov>
(317) 233-9026
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~WRD039
From: Ben Hallman
Thank you Sarah. Please keep me updated.
From: ISP Public Records
Mr. Freskos,
We are working on your request. Currently, we are encountering problems in that our case management system query is not pulling the correct information. We are working on correcting this issue. Please allow another 30 days for us to compile this information. We will make every effort to resolve it as soon as possible. Thank you.
Cynthia Forbes, Legal Counsel
Indiana State Police - Legal Office
100 N. Senate Ave., IGCN 340
Indianapolis, IN 46221
Telephone: 317-234-4217
Fax: 317-234-7638
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~WRD356
From: Ben Hallman
Thank you Cynthia
From: ISP Public Records
Mr. Freskos,
ISP has made contact with our case management system vendor, Interact, to try to search for the requested material. However, presently we can only search for guns entered into evidence. This accounts for seizures from criminal cases, abandoned weapons found, stolen weapons, etc. There is no solution for this problem as it will require programming changes. As such we will not be able to fulfill your request. Thank you.
Cynthia Forbes, Legal Counsel
Indiana State Police - Legal Office
100 N. Senate Ave., IGCN 340
Indianapolis, IN 46221
Telephone: 317-234-4217
Fax: 317-234-7638
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~WRD000
From: Ben Hallman
Hi Cynthia,
Guns entered into evidence is exactly what I'm looking for. Can you send me the serial number, make and model of those weapons, along with some indication as to what type of case it was, i.e., whether the gun was stolen, found, or recovered in a criminal case?
From: ISP Public Records
This is the report that is generated from the case management system. I do not believe it contains the information that you want. However, this is all we can provide currently. Also, our case management system was changed in 2012 so we can produce this report for 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 (attached). Please let me know if you would like the other years. Thanks
Cynthia Forbes, Legal Counsel
Indiana State Police - Legal Office
100 N. Senate Ave., IGCN 340
Indianapolis, IN 46221
Telephone: 317-234-4217
Fax: 317-234-7638
From: Ben Hallman
This looks great Cynthia. Please send the other years when you get a chance. Thanks!
From: ISP Public Records
As requested, attached are the reports for 2012-2015. Thank you.
Cynthia Forbes, Legal Counsel
Indiana State Police - Legal Office
100 N. Senate Ave., IGCN 340
Indianapolis, IN 46221
Telephone: 317-234-4217
Fax: 317-234-7638
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12_15_Reports
From: Brian Freskos
Hi Cynthia,
We are in the formatting phase of this project and I came across a question about this date: There are several guns that are marked "Recovered." Does that mean that the gun in question was previously reported stolen?
From: ISP Public Records
Hello,
After speaking with our case management administrator, it is believed that “recovered” would link to items have been reported as lost or stolen. Thank you.
Cynthia Forbes, Legal Counsel
Indiana State Police - Legal Office
100 N. Senate Ave., IGCN 340
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Telephone: 317-234-4217
Fax: 317-234-7638
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~WRD000
From: Brian Freskos
Thank you!