Police Data Collection Request (2021)

Dear Samuel Sinyangwe:

Thank you for your interest in open public records of Jersey City OPRA Center.  This will serve to acknowledge receipt of your Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request.  Your request was received in this office on 6/6/2022.  Kindly refer to the reference number C002022-060622 when communicating with our office in this regard.  Your request mentioned:
To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, I hereby request the following records:

1. the total number of use of force incidents, separated by type of force and year used in 2021 (for example, information that specifies the number of taser incidents in 2021, baton incidents in 2021, etc.)

2. the total number of civilian complaints alleging any form of law enforcement misconduct that were reported and the total number sustained in 2021.

3. the total number of civilian complaints alleging law enforcement use of excessive force that were reported and the total number sustained in 2021.

4. the total number of civilian complaints alleging biased policing or racial profiling that were reported and the total number sustained in 2021.

5. the total number of civilian complaints alleging criminal conduct that were reported and the total number sustained in 2021.

6. the total number of officer involved shootings in 2021, both fatal and non-fatal.

When available, I would appreciate being sent individualized data for each item in this request in spreadsheet format. If individualized data are unavailable, please send information that includes aggregate statistics for the item instead.

Note that my requests for civilian complaints are specifically for civilian complaints alleging police misconduct, please do not include complaints filed by one officer/the department against another officer.

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 7 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Samuel Sinyangwe

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/
Your request will be forwarded to the relevant City department(s) to locate the information you seek and to determine the volume and any costs associated with satisfying your request. You will be contacted about the availability and/or provided with copies of the records in question.  PLEASE NOTE: The State Public Information Act does not require a governmental body to create new information, to do legal research, or to answer questions.
You can track and monitor the progress of your request at the link below and you'll receive an email when your request has been completed. Again, thank you for using the Jersey City OPRA Center.
Jersey City, NJ

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RE: OPEN PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST of June 06, 2022, Reference # C002022-060622
Samuel Sinyangwe:

The City received a public information request from you on June 06, 2022. Your request mentioned:
To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, I hereby request the following records:

1. the total number of use of force incidents, separated by type of force and year used in 2021 (for example, information that specifies the number of taser incidents in 2021, baton incidents in 2021, etc.)

2. the total number of civilian complaints alleging any form of law enforcement misconduct that were reported and the total number sustained in 2021.

3. the total number of civilian complaints alleging law enforcement use of excessive force that were reported and the total number sustained in 2021.

4. the total number of civilian complaints alleging biased policing or racial profiling that were reported and the total number sustained in 2021.

5. the total number of civilian complaints alleging criminal conduct that were reported and the total number sustained in 2021.

6. the total number of officer involved shootings in 2021, both fatal and non-fatal.

When available, I would appreciate being sent individualized data for each item in this request in spreadsheet format. If individualized data are unavailable, please send information that includes aggregate statistics for the item instead.

Note that my requests for civilian complaints are specifically for civilian complaints alleging police misconduct, please do not include complaints filed by one officer/the department against another officer.

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 7 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Samuel Sinyangwe

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/
Reference is made to your OPRA request captioned above.
Please note that the City is conducting its search and two additional weeks are needed for processing your request.
Thank you for your patience.
Sincerely,
Emare Herrera
Records Support Tech 1
Office of City Clerk

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RE: OPEN PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST of June 06, 2022, Reference # C002022-060622

Dear Samuel Sinyangwe,

The City received a public information request from you on June 06, 2022. Your request mentioned:
To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, I hereby request the following records:

1. the total number of use of force incidents, separated by type of force and year used in 2021 (for example, information that specifies the number of taser incidents in 2021, baton incidents in 2021, etc.)

2. the total number of civilian complaints alleging any form of law enforcement misconduct that were reported and the total number sustained in 2021.

3. the total number of civilian complaints alleging law enforcement use of excessive force that were reported and the total number sustained in 2021.

4. the total number of civilian complaints alleging biased policing or racial profiling that were reported and the total number sustained in 2021.

5. the total number of civilian complaints alleging criminal conduct that were reported and the total number sustained in 2021.

6. the total number of officer involved shootings in 2021, both fatal and non-fatal.

When available, I would appreciate being sent individualized data for each item in this request in spreadsheet format. If individualized data are unavailable, please send information that includes aggregate statistics for the item instead.

Note that my requests for civilian complaints are specifically for civilian complaints alleging police misconduct, please do not include complaints filed by one officer/the department against another officer.

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 7 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Samuel Sinyangwe

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/ ***** Please be reminded that “OPRA only allows requests for records, not requests for information.” Bent v. Stafford Twp.,  381 N.J. Super. 30, 37 (App. Div. 2005).  "OPRA does not require record custodians to conduct research among its records . . . and correlate data from various government records in the custodian's possession." MAG Entertainment, LLC v. Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control , 375 N.J. Super. 534, 546-47 (App. Div. 2005). “[T]herefore, it is ‘incumbent on the requestor to perform any correlations and analysis he may desire’.” Id . at 547. All parts of your request seek information that would need to be compiled by City employees, rather than existing records.   Your request is therefore invalid under OPRA and deniable. In the cooperative spirit of OPRA though, rather than providing nothing at all, the City has (in the link below) supplied a spreadsheet containing a report we do run regarding civilian complaints.
Open Public Records Act - C002022-060622 Additionally, as a further courtesy, the City is searching for Use of Force reports, which are the records best suited for you to perform the analyses you desire as to uses of force.  We will contact you in a separate communication once the UOF reports are gathered and reviewed.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Jacobsen, Esq.
Assistant Corporation Counsel
City of Jersey City - Dept. of Law

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RE: OPEN PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST of June 06, 2022, Reference # C002022-060622

Dear Samuel Sinyangwe,

The City received a public information request from you on June 06, 2022. Your request mentioned:
To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, I hereby request the following records:

1. the total number of use of force incidents, separated by type of force and year used in 2021 (for example, information that specifies the number of taser incidents in 2021, baton incidents in 2021, etc.)

2. the total number of civilian complaints alleging any form of law enforcement misconduct that were reported and the total number sustained in 2021.

3. the total number of civilian complaints alleging law enforcement use of excessive force that were reported and the total number sustained in 2021.

4. the total number of civilian complaints alleging biased policing or racial profiling that were reported and the total number sustained in 2021.

5. the total number of civilian complaints alleging criminal conduct that were reported and the total number sustained in 2021.

6. the total number of officer involved shootings in 2021, both fatal and non-fatal.

When available, I would appreciate being sent individualized data for each item in this request in spreadsheet format. If individualized data are unavailable, please send information that includes aggregate statistics for the item instead.

Note that my requests for civilian complaints are specifically for civilian complaints alleging police misconduct, please do not include complaints filed by one officer/the department against another officer.

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 7 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Samuel Sinyangwe

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

The City has reviewed its files and has located responsive records to your request. Please log in to the Jersey City OPRA Center at the following link to retrieve the appropriate responsive documents.
Open Public Records Act - C002022-060622
This OPRA request is now closed
Sincerely,

Emare Herrera
Records Support Tech 1
Office of City Clerk