Mobile Biometric Technologies (Baltimore Police Department)

Mr. Plummer

On September 21, 2015 the BPD’s Media Relations Section received your request for public records. Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA), which is the General Provisions Article, § 4-101, et seq., of the Annotated Code of Maryland defines the accessibility to public records. The BPD has several custodians of the records. You have requested records pertaining to mobile biometric technologies, and data stored.

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

This request may be conceded unduly burdensome. You have also requested that the BPD and the Citizens of Baltimore waive the normal reasonable fees charged. You must define what “public interest” would be furthered by waiving fees. Note that pursuant to State Government Article, § 10-621(b) of the Annotated Code of Maryland, the official custodian of public records may charge an applicant a reasonable fee for the search, preparation, and reproduction of a public record. This provision reflects a legislative judgment that the taxpayers need not subsidize PIA requesters (except for the first two hours of search and preparation time, which are free to the requester under State Government Article, § 10- 621(c)), See 81Opinion of the Attorney General 154 (January 31, 1996).

This office will forward your request to the appropriate custodian(s). Once all responsive documents are located, this office will contact you with the estimated costs associated with this request as allowed by General Provisions Article, § 4-206 of the Annotated Code of Maryland. Please refer to tracking # MPIA 15 565 in any subsequent correspondence regarding this matter.

Thank You

Wayne Brooks
Assistant to Legal Affairs
Baltimore Police Department
410 396 2395

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The information contained in or attached to this e-mail message may be a privileged and confidential attorney/client communication, or otherwise confidential, and is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, you are notified that any distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the Legal Affairs Division immediately by telephone at 410-396-2496 and DELETE the message from your system immediately. Thank you.

The materials in this e-mail are private and may contain sensitive law enforcement information. Please note that e-mail is not necessarily confidential or secure. Use of e-mail constitutes your acknowledgment of these confidentiality and security limitations. If you are not the intended recipient, be advised that any unauthorized use, disclosure, copying, distribution, or the taking of any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited as covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2510-2521. If you have received this e-mail in error, please immediately notify the sender via telephone or return e-mail. Thank you.

Dear Mr. Plummer,

On September 28, 2015 A final response to your MPIA request was to:

MuckRock News
Joseph Plummer
DEPT MR 20240
PO Box 55819
Boston, MA 02205-5819

Please refer to tracking # MPIA 15 565 in any subsequent correspondence in this matter.

Thank You

Wayne Brooks
Assistant to Legal Affairs
Baltimore Police Department

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The information contained in or attached to this e-mail message may be a privileged and confidential attorney/client communication, or otherwise confidential, and is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, you are notified that any distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the Legal Affairs Division immediately by telephone at 410-396-2496 and DELETE the message from your system immediately. Thank you.

The materials in this e-mail are private and may contain sensitive law enforcement information. Please note that e-mail is not necessarily confidential or secure. Use of e-mail constitutes your acknowledgment of these confidentiality and security limitations. If you are not the intended recipient, be advised that any unauthorized use, disclosure, copying, distribution, or the taking of any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited as covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2510-2521. If you have received this e-mail in error, please immediately notify the sender via telephone or return e-mail. Thank you.

A no responsive documents response.