Sustained findings 2017 (New Orleans Police Department)

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Louisiana Public Records Law, I hereby request the following records:

Under the Louisiana Public Records Act § 44:1 et seq., I am requesting copies of records related to cases of sustained findings of police misconduct at the Internal Affairs Division of the New Orleans Police, between 2017 and 2022. This includes, but is not limited to, documents, reports, multimedia, body-worn camera footage, arrest filings, and so on. It also includes all documents, notes, correspondence and memoranda evidencing sustained findings reports and investigations, and all communication and correspondence in whatever tangible medium between the officials, the victims and the overseeing agency.

I am requesting digital copies of all responsive documents.

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.

Here, misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

Excessive (unreasonable) force – beatings, manhandling of people in handcuffs, improper use of Tasers, injuries inflicted by police dogs, improper use of deadly force, and other police brutality or disregard for the safety of suspects. It also includes, but is not limited to: physical and verbal abuse, restraints happening unreasonably, coerced or forced confessions, and sexual abuse and assault.

False arrests – pulling over, detention, questioning and searches conducted without any probable cause whatsoever, including cases of planted evidence, racial profiling and trumped-up charges of resisting arrest.

Louisiana's Public Records Act does not exclude police disciplinary records from release, even if it violates the officer’s constitutional right to privacy, as ruled by the Louisiana Court of Appeals in its 2008 case of City of Baton Rouge v. Capital City Press.

Any person who has been denied the right to inspect or copy a record under the provisions of this Chapter, either by a final determination of the custodian or by the passage of five days, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays, from the date of his request without receiving a final determination in writing by the custodian, may institute proceedings for the issuance of a writ of mandamus, injunctive or declaratory relief, together with attorney's fees, costs and damages as provided for by this Section, in the district court for the parish in which the office of the custodian is located.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at 415-769-8210 or ananyatiwarijournalism@gmail.com.

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 3 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Ananya Tiwari