Facial Recognition - Laredo (TX)

Welcome to the City of Laredo Open Records Center. We have received your Public Information Request, and it has been diverted to the appropriate department for processing. Pursuant to the Public Information Act, the governmental body will try to complete the request within a reasonable amount of time depending on the nature of the request. However, you can expect to receive notification should the request require more than 10 business days to complete.

Please note, the Texas Public Information Act does not require a governmental body to create new information, to do legal research, or to answer questions. The request must ask for records or information already in existence. In addition, the City of Laredo may collect a fee as prescribed by law or regulation for the requested documents. If a fee is not prescribed by law or regulation, the fee shall be the actual cost of duplicating the record(s) and any applicable labor costs.

Unfortunately, this email is an automated notification, which is unable to receive replies. Therefore, if you have any questions with respect to a pending request or pertaining to any open records issue,  you may directly contact this office through the open records center.  You may also reach us by phone at the number below.

Very truly yours,

City Attorney's Office
Public Information Coordinator for the City of Laredo
1110 Houston Street
City Hall, 3rd Floor
Laredo, Texas 78040
(956) 791-7319 Telephone
(956) 791-7494 Facsimile

Dear Freddy Martinez,
In regards to the PD - Open Records Request received on 7/9/2019 requesting records, the records have been in " status for 61 days. The [NAMEORGANIZATION] considers this request closed. If you would still like the records, please submit another PD - Open Records Request. Thank you for using the City of Laredo Open Records Center. Requested Clarification" Request Details:
Reference # W012979-070919
Description of Records Requested: To Whom It May Concern:

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

Records and materials related to the solicitation, acquisition, and use of face recognition technology and related software and services.
This software or services may be provided by Rekognition, Face++, and FaceFirst; this request is applicable to these and any other company providing facial recognition services under consideration or contract with this agency.

Responsive materials include but are not limited to:

• Agreements: contracts (including non-disclosure agreements), licensing agreements, nondisclosure agreements
• Bid records: Requests For Proposal (or equivalent calls for bids), sole source or limited source justification and approval documentation, documentation of selection, and other materials generated in the consideration and selection of the technology in question
• Company relations and communications: records related to meetings or follow-up actions with any vendors, companies, or other private entities marketing face recognition to this agency for immigration, intelligence, law enforcement, or other use.
• Financial records: purchase orders, invoices, and other memoranda and documentation.
• Marketing records: All marketing materials - unsolicited, requested, or otherwise - acquired from vendors of face recognition technology
• Policy records: any policy directives, guidance documents, memoranda, training materials, or similar records governing the use of face recognition technology for immigration, law enforcement, or other purposes. Any memoranda of understanding between this agency and other agencies to share data, access remote systems or other forms of information sharing with external agencies.
• Training records: training material governing the use, sharing, or access to any related data related to or collected by the face recognition software/technology, including the legal standard that is required before using the technology. Documents, should they exist, about training for bias in the use of facial recognition technology.
• Use and function records: Materials that describe the function of the software considered or in use by this agency, including emails, handouts, PowerPoint presentations, advertisements, or specification documents.
• Validation and accuracy: Records, reports, audits, and other documents sufficient to describe validation, accuracy, reliability, and policy compliance of the system.

Please limit the search to records produced from January 1, 2017 – present. Please include in your search as responsive records: communications, memorandums, background papers, meeting minutes, email exchanges, or presentation materials. If your office has questions about this request, please feel free to direct them to the address associated with this request or call the MuckRock office at 617-299-1832.

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,

Freddy Martinez

Upload documents directly: https://https://www.muckrock.comhttps://www.muckrock.com/
To view the full details of  this request please log into the City of Laredo Open Records Center. (http://www.ci.laredo.tx.us/open-records.html?qaframe=(S(4t2euk4uwctpviql132yw5dq))%2Fsupporthome.aspx)
This is an auto-generated email and has originated from an unmonitored email account.  Please DO NOT REPLY.

--- Please respond above this line ---

Freddy Martinez
MuckRock News, DEPT MR 76803
Somerville, MA 02144

RE: Request for Information: W012979-070919

Dear Freddy Martinez:

On 7/9/2019 the City of Laredo received your request for Other (Please describe below)records.

The City of Laredo strictly adheres to the provisions of the Texas Public Information Act, Texas Government Code ch. 552 (formerly, Open Records Act), and the interpretative opinions of the Texas Attorney General and the courts. The information you have requested does not exist in document form. The Texas Public Information Act does not require the City to produce documents that are not in existence. You are welcome to submit another request. You may also contact me with any questions at (956) 795-2861.
We do not have or use the technology that you are inquiring about in order to respond to your request.  I was under the belief that Lt. Luis Martinez had previously responded to your request due to I not having access to that information.  Please accept our apologies in the delay for a response.
Sincerely,
Rosa Rodriguez
Open Records Division
Laredo Police Department
To monitor the progress or update this request please log into the City of Laredo Open Records Center. (https://u8387795.ct.sendgrid.net/wf/click?upn=Ow1KccipsoIsnXbuEgm-2FNzvvRy7ZAPEEOqsEeOs0mzMa5xekwYldlHnQFROpSUGrjG6oGS4npD1D9gWbfUKFSU6qiIMuPKN7FAfnu1waCqzgq5-2B6jK9UwJeLFMPq46Tc_ks6kuB5q2OmdsXi0R6gJI0n6RfcCkRWBRDPqjgNuzldLyszhV3217vL5QA4wZyRy8t-2FVyrXDTBg7Y-2ByjXqVelSK2esL1IXmou9FT18Xp6CFS3Q2DUj-2FaTFcoBeD7CumLb5sRQ5u3QqGKOTTgXJH3GX7disf3P2l4GrZekGChz7x3Uo5NuqzLuFHWNOcXL1g9I33Y9eQxAvKvui-2F2Q6uAD8QzLppQxKT8VWUiq2SRbbqd1bicDOZWrvcWVWVkAC-2BdwdPmq89koVcHZyu5k5Jtap-2BMiJl8gXPN0pzIWP6RTJl-2FUOxVz-2BUDnmndAC8-2F1OMvwga7eviEk8Aa-2F5khmEXSnz9g5Nt2xDhcXNpTtrScJT6zbbxzvsbTO-2BtY1hJUJq3aHl9j8ygGL5pQ6urHEWIsIA-3D-3D)