Dummy boxes, Amazon, Newark

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, I hereby request the following records:

Recent media reports state that the various police departments around the country are installing cameras to doorbells and planting dummy boxes with GPS tracking devices at homes around the city in a collaboration with Amazon. (https://www.apnews.com/c654020c42b94055a19801b849d337a2 )

Therefore, I am requesting the following records related to the above program:

* All instructional materials, presentations and presentation materials (including recorded video and audio, PowerPoint files, prepared remarks, and slides formats), and other guidance on the use of the cameras and the GPS tracking devices. This includes any notes taking during meetings that discussed the use of the cameras and the GPS tracking devices, any explanations (whether internally or externally generated) of how the software works, and any other document that has been used to help explain the use of the cameras and the GPS tracking devices to any party, including internal documentation, public relations materials, and executive summaries. This also includes any description of input and output data fields that will aid in understanding the type of information that is submitted to the software, and that is produced by the software.

* A copy of any privacy impact assessments, use policies, standard operating procedures, data retention policies, legal opinions, warranties, non-disclosure agreements, contracts, liability waivers, insurance agreements, Requests for Proposals, Responses to Requests for Proposal, Memorandums of Understanding, Letters of Interest, usage policies, or informal agreements that reference "the software" or otherwise guide it use or the relationship between this agency and the provider or developer of the software.

* A copy of any funding opportunity announcements, grant applications and grantor status/progress reports, reports to legislative bodies, annual reports that mention the use of the Software, as well as audit records, including but not limited to security audits of the software, misuse reports, and reports to oversight bodies.

* A copy of any validation studies conducted with respect to the program or with respect to any software or algorithms used in connection with the program, and a copy of any records pertaining to inquiries for the need of validation studies, or discussion of potential or actual validation studies. By “validation study,” I mean any study designed to assess how accurate the program is in predicting what it is supposed to predict, or to assess whether the program may err in the direction of either under- or overestimating likelihoods or predicted outcomes, or may produce any results that are biased or unexpected in any way.

* Any digital communications (including but not limited to emails and text messages) as well as documents, (including but not limited to PDF, word processing, excel, and slide documents) that make reference to the use of this camera-installation, GPS-tracking program in collaboration with Amazon. and/or Ring. Ring is a home security company that was acquired by Amazon earlier this year.

* Any digital communications (including but not limited to emails and text messages) with Amazon or Amazon representatives, Ring security, or Ring representatives.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes. It will be used in the course of reporting for Motherboard, VICE’s science and technology website (www.motherboard.vice.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 7 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Caroline Haskins

Hi, just following up. The document attached in your previous note didn't satisfy or close my requests, so what can I do or provide you with to move this request forward?

Best,
Caroline