Purchase and 'less lethal' deployment records (Inyo County Sheriff)

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the California Public Records Act, I hereby request the following records:

1. Purchase records, invoices, procurement documents and other documents sufficient to show any and all disbursement of public funds for the acquisition by your agency since July 1, 2015 of any of the following:
• Firearms of .50 caliber or greater
• Patrol rifles (as commonly denominated for law enforcement use) or assault rifles (as defined in Sections 30510 and 30515 of the California Penal Code)
• Wheeled vehicles that are built or modified to provide ballistic protection to their occupants, such as Bearcats or armored personnel carriers.
• Projectile launch platforms, such as 40mm projectile launchers, "bean bag" or specialty impact munition ("SIM") weapons, and "riot guns" used to disperse chemical agents
• Long-Range Acoustic Device (LRAD)

2. Purchase records, invoices, procurement documents and other documents sufficient to show any and all disbursement of public funds for the acquisition by your agency since July 1, 2018 of explosives and pyrotechnics, such as "flash bang" grenades and explosive breaching tools, and chemical weapons such as "teargas" and "pepper balls".

3. Records of deployment by your agency since January 1, 2020 of projectile launch platforms, such as 40mm projectile launchers, "bean bag" or specialty impact munition ("SIM") weapons, and "riot guns" used to disperse chemical agents; explosives and pyrotechnics, such as "flashbang" grenades and explosive breaching tools; and chemical weapons such as "teargas" and "pepper balls".

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.

If you would like to discuss this request, please feel free to reach out to me, John Lindsay-Poland, American Friends Service Committee, at 510-282-8983.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

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 calendar days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

John Lindsay-Poland

Dear Ms. Stine,

Thank you so much for your response to my Public Records Act request for purchase and deployment records for certain types of equipment possessed by the Inyo County Sheriff's Office. I really appreciate it.

I am writing to ask whether you have any other responsive purchase records, such as invoices, for "less lethal" launchers or munitions, as detailed in the expense report you shared. The report shows the supplier, cost, and a generic category ("less lethal", "Pepperball"), but not the make or model or number of those items purchased. We are requesting this of all sheriff offices in the state as well as many police departments, for a public report on the types of equipment obtained and used by law enforcement agencies in California.

Again, I appreciate your effort on this request.

best,
John Lindsay-Poland

Dear Ms. Stine,

Thanks so much for your prompt and informative response. I understand how difficult it is to be short-staffed, as many agencies are now.

So, while I am curious what a new response date would be, I also want to ask whether you think a new request that focuses on the most recent *inventory* records of the same types of equipment would be something that is difficult or easy to respond to. If you think it is manageable, I would consider the response to the purchase records request complete, and submit a new one.

Thanks, and wishing you the best.

John Lindsay-Poland

Dear Ms. Stine,

Happy new year! I wanted to follow up on the previous message sent by John Lindsay-Poland, included below. Thanks so much,

Jennifer Tu
American Friends Service Committee

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Subject: RE: California Public Records Act Request: Purchase and 'less lethal'
deployment records (Inyo County Sheriff)
From: "requests@muckrock.com"
<requests@muckrock.com>
To: wstine@inyocounty.us
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2021 19:38:06 -0000

Dear Ms. Stine,

Thanks so much for your prompt and informative response. I understand how difficult it is to be short-staffed, as many agencies are now.

So, while I am curious what a new response date would be, I also want to ask whether you think a new request that focuses on the most recent *inventory* records of the same types of equipment would be something that is difficult or easy to respond to. If you think it is manageable, I would consider the response to the purchase records request complete, and submit a new one.

Thanks, and wishing you the best.

John Lindsay-Poland

Dear Ms. Stine,

Thanks so much for your help with this request. We really appreciate it.

Sincerely,
John Lindsay-Poland and Jennifer Tu