Demographics Unit closing briefings -- NYC mayor

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:

-Any briefings or memos provided to Mayor de Blasio from March 1, 2014 to the date this request is processed regarding the elimination of the NYPD Zone Assessment Unit (formerly the Demographics Unit).

-Any email correspondence between the mayor's staff and the NYPD regarding the elimination of the Zone Assessment Unit (formerly the Demographics Unit), sent or received between March 1, 2014 and the date this request is processed.

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,

Shawn Musgrave

To Whom It May Concern:

I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on April 18, 2014. 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 April 18, 2014. 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 April 18, 2014. 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 April 18, 2014. 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 April 18, 2014. 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 April 18, 2014. 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 April 18, 2014. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #2014-0084.

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 April 18, 2014. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #2014-0084.

Thank you for your help.

Mr. Berger -

This is an appeal of the attached FOIL determination, in which the Mayor's Office has rejected in its entirety my request for documents regarding the closure of the NYPD Demographics/Zone Assessment Unit.

In rejecting my request, Kiren Gopal cited Public Officers Law §87(2)(g), which exempts inter-agency or intra-agency materials. However, the records that I have requested clearly fall within the specific restrictions on §87(2)(g). Specifically, my request for briefings and emails with NYPD clearly fall within the scope of "instructions to staff that affect the public' as well as "final agency policy or determinations."

The Demographics/Zone Assessment Unit garnered considerable public attention over the past couple of years. Materials pertaining to its closure, and particularly instructions between the mayor's office and NYPD, clearly would be considered to "affect the public." The closing of the unit is not a purely inter-agency or intra-agency matter, but has a strong bearing on the public.

Furthermore, the fact that the Demographics/Zone Assessment Unit has, in fact, been closed, further substantiates the fact that this rejection was inappropriate.

Please remand this request back for further processing and release of the requested documents.

Respectfully,

Shawn Musgrave
MuckRock

Mr. Berger -

I have not received an acknowledgement of my appeal. Please confirm whether it was received as sent last week?

Best,
Shawn