Communications between Columbia University and the NYPD

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the New York State Freedom of Information Law (1977 N.Y. Laws ch. 933), I hereby request the following records:

I request any and all communications between the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, their legal representatives, and others working on their behalf (including deans, other administrators, and Columbia University Public Safety) and the New York City Police Department and the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York.

Specifically, I request communications between the dates August 1, 2010 and August 15, 2011 that involved the undercover operation, "Operation Ivy League." I request communication between these parties about undercover operation, the lead-up to the arrest, the arrest, as well as communication between these parties after the arrest, until August 15, 2011. I also request communications about any of the five arrested students, whose names are:

Harrison David
Jose Stephan Perez (also known as Stephen Vincenzo)
Michael Wymbs
Christopher Coles
Adam Klein

"Operation Ivy League" is publicly made reference to in the New York Times here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/nyregion/08columbia.html?_r=2.

Kati Cornell, Communications Representative for the Special Narcotics Prosecutor’s Office, said publicly that Columbia University Public Safety was "helpful to the NYPD in facilitating the arrests" here: http://bwog.com/2010/12/07/6-o-clock-wrap-up-operation-ivy-league/.

A spokesperson for the narcotics prosecutor says, publicly, “Columbia helped us in making the arrests this morning and facilitated it for us, and it went very smoothly with their help" here: http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2010/12/07/five-students-custody-after-drug-bust.

I also request that, if appropriate, fees be waived as I believe this request is in the public interest. The requested documents will be made available to the general public free of charge as part of the public information service at MuckRock.com, processed by a representative of the news media/press and is made in the process of news gathering and not for commercial usage.

In the event that fees cannot be waived, 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 5 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Conor Skelding

To Whom It May Concern:

I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on Oct. 14, 2013. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed.

Thank you for your help.

To Whom It May Concern:

I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on Oct. 14, 2013. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #2013-PL-7672.

Thank you for your help.

To Whom It May Concern:

This is an appeal for 2013-PL-7672, which was rejected via attached letter dated November 21, 2013.

Lieutenant Mantellino writes that he is "unable to locate records responsive to [my] request."

This is an untenable denial, because it has been published in media that the Special Narcotics Prosecutor's Office worked with Columbia to facilitate making the arrests. The Columbia Daily Spectator reported a SNP spokesperson as saying, “Columbia helped us in making the arrests this morning and facilitated it for us, and it went very smoothly with their help." That information is publicly accessibly here: http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2010/12/07/five-students-custody-after-drug-bust.

Please review this request and provide those portions of the requested documents that can be properly released under FOIL.

Thank you,

Conor Skelding