Drones: Policies/Procedures and Contracts from 2020-2021 (Portland Police Bureau)

Dear Autumn:

The City of Portland acknowledges receipt of your Public Records Request.  Your request was received in this office on March 21, 2022 and given the reference number S220456-032122 for tracking purposes.

Record Requested:  To Whom It May Concern:

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

Please provide the following materials/information related to this department's usage of drones between 2020-2021:

-Contracts and agreements between third party organizations/companies/and other government agencies.
-Policies/Procedures of usage of drones, training/safety, and collecting of data.

I ask that your office consider waiving any fees associated with this request, as it is being made as part of a student project being conducted in the public interest and as part of a class within the University of Nevada, Reno Reynold’s School of Journalism.

Should any payment be necessary in order to fulfill this request, please provide a detailed estimate of those associated costs in advance of its work to process this request.

If you choose to deny this request, please supply a written explanation for the denial, including a reference to the specific statutory exemption(s) upon which you rely for each redaction and document that will not be disclosed. Please release all segregable portions of otherwise exempt material.

If access to the records I am requesting will take longer than the statutorily-described amount of time for processing records requests, please contact me with information about when I might expect copies or the ability to inspect the requested records.

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 10 business days.

Sincerely,

Autumn Oaks

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/
At this time, the City is uncertain whether it is the custodian of the requested record.  The City will review your request to determine if it has responsive records.  The City will then gather an estimate of the costs to provide copies of requested public records for which the City does not claim an exemption from disclosure.  The City is permitted to charge its actual costs to provide records.  Fees include research time to locate and analyze the requested records, even if no records are located or if the requested records are determined to be exempt from disclosure.

Please be advised that a pre-payment from you may be required.  If a pre-payment is required, you will receive a separate notice with instructions.  You may click here to access the payments page.
You can monitor the progress of your request at the link below. Responding to individual inquires by phone or email diverts the staff from responding to requests and may further delay your receipt of records. Thank you for using the Portland Public Records Request Center. Please note that the Police Bureau is currently experiencing a significant backlog of public records requests (both electronic and hardcopy requests).  Please expect your request to take up to 12 weeks to be processed.  For status updates concerning your public records request please refer to the Portland Public Records Request Center via the link below.  While we cannot expedite every request, if you have an urgent need for the record such as a court date or an issue involving identity theft, please call the Police Bureau directly at (503) 823-0756.  Thank you for your patience.

RE:  Public Records Request#: S220456-032122

Dear Autumn Oaks,

PAYMENT DUE

The City may be the custodian of at least some of the requested public records and a payment is due to continue processing this request. Please log into the Portland Public Records Request Center to pay these fees.

Fees include research time to locate and analyze the requested records, even if no records are located or if the requested records are determined to be exempt from disclosure. We will not be working on your request until we receive the payment.

Please log in to the Portland Public Records Request Center

You may pay by electronic check or credit card by going to "My Public Records Request Center" and select "View My Invoices." Then scroll to find your open invoice and select "Make Payment." Follow the screen prompts to make a payment.

Due to the current state of emergency, most City offices are not staffed. Consequently, if you mail a check it could delay the response time and it is preferable that you use the online payment portal to make an electronic payment. However, if you need to mail a check, please reply to this message and ask for the correct address. Please be sure and provide your Reference Number (S220456-032122) on your check.

Please be advised that pursuant to ORS 192.329(3)(b) and (4)(b), your public records request will be closed if payment is not received within sixty (60) days of this invoice.


Sincerely,

PPB Queue

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*Please see this Answer for more information:  A006257-010816 If you are having technical difficulties with the website, please contact the website administrator by phone or email.  (503) 823-6040 or prrhelp@portlandoregon.gov

RE: Police General Records Request of March 21, 2022 Reference # S220456-032122

Dear Autumn,


The City received a Public Records Request from you on March 21, 2022 for the following:
"To Whom It May Concern:

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

Please provide the following materials/information related to this department's usage of drones between 2020-2021:

-Contracts and agreements between third party organizations/companies/and other government agencies.
-Policies/Procedures of usage of drones, training/safety, and collecting of data.

I ask that your office consider waiving any fees associated with this request, as it is being made as part of a student project being conducted in the public interest and as part of a class within the University of Nevada, Reno Reynold’s School of Journalism.

Should any payment be necessary in order to fulfill this request, please provide a detailed estimate of those associated costs in advance of its work to process this request.

If you choose to deny this request, please supply a written explanation for the denial, including a reference to the specific statutory exemption(s) upon which you rely for each redaction and document that will not be disclosed. Please release all segregable portions of otherwise exempt material.

If access to the records I am requesting will take longer than the statutorily-described amount of time for processing records requests, please contact me with information about when I might expect copies or the ability to inspect the requested records.

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 10 business days.

Sincerely,

Autumn Oaks

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/

You have requested a fee waiver from the City of Portland for the fees associated with your public records request.  The City requests the following information to evaluate your fee waiver request:

1) How do you or your organization intend to use the information?  (Please answer regarding the specific information requested as opposed to speaking generally regarding information on the general topic requested);

2) How will the information benefit the wider public?  (Please explain how this specific information assists the public given the information already provided to the public on this topic);

3) How do you or your organization intend to disseminate the information to the wider public?
Without responses to all 3 of these questions it may be difficult, or even impossible, to assess whether the requested disclosure is in the public interest because it will primarily benefit the public.
Please also bear in mind that the Bureau providing the records must weigh the public's interest in disclosure against the cost to the public of fulfilling the request without reimbursement.  As part of that balancing of interests, the City may consider the volume of the records requested.  Please discuss whether a more narrowly tailored, and thus less expensive, request could equally meet the public interest.

Please note that if you have already made a payment on this request, we will be unable to provide you with a refund.  If you have any questions regarding your fee waiver, please call (503) 823-0708.  Be sure to leave your reference number when you leave a voicemail.
Sincerely,


PPB Queue

If you are having technical difficulties with the website, please contact the website administrator by phone or email.  (503) 823-6040 or prrhelp@portlandoregon.gov (mailto:prrhelp@portlandoregon.gov)

--- Please respond above this line ---

RE:  Police General Records Request of March 21, 2022 Reference #S220456-032122

Dear Autumn,

Pursuant to ORS 192.329(5)(b), this is to notify you that I have assigned your request to a staff member and you will receive an additional response in 10 business days. We will gather an estimate and apply any approved fee waiver at that time.

Thank you for your patience and for using the Portland Public Records Request Center.

Tammi Weiss
Police Records Manager
503-823-9751 If you are having technical difficulties with the website, please contact the website administrator by phone or email.  (503) 823-6040 or prrhelp@portlandoregon.gov

--- Please respond above this line ---

RE: Police General Records Request of March 21, 2022 Reference # S220456-032122

Dear Autumn,
The City received a Public Records Request from you on March 21, 2022 for the following: "To Whom It May Concern:

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

Please provide the following materials/information related to this department's usage of drones between 2020-2021:

-Contracts and agreements between third party organizations/companies/and other government agencies.
-Policies/Procedures of usage of drones, training/safety, and collecting of data.

I ask that your office consider waiving any fees associated with this request, as it is being made as part of a student project being conducted in the public interest and as part of a class within the University of Nevada, Reno Reynold’s School of Journalism.

Should any payment be necessary in order to fulfill this request, please provide a detailed estimate of those associated costs in advance of its work to process this request.

If you choose to deny this request, please supply a written explanation for the denial, including a reference to the specific statutory exemption(s) upon which you rely for each redaction and document that will not be disclosed. Please release all segregable portions of otherwise exempt material.

If access to the records I am requesting will take longer than the statutorily-described amount of time for processing records requests, please contact me with information about when I might expect copies or the ability to inspect the requested records.

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 10 business days.

Sincerely,

Autumn Oaks

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/
Please be advised that there are no records responsive to your request.

The City now considers your request fulfilled and it will be closed.
Sincerely,
Ryan Rees
PPB | Police Digital & Public Records (He|Him) 503-823-0756 If you are having technical difficulties with the website, please contact the website administrator by phone or email.  (503) 823-6040 or prrhelp@portlandoregon.gov