Search Warrant Data (Providence Police Department) • MuckRock

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Communications

From: LPL

11/01/2019

Subject: Rhode Island Access to Public Records Act Request: Search Warrant Data (Providence Police Department)

Portal

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Rhode Island Access to Public Records Act, I hereby request the following records:

For all search warrants, applications for search warrants, cancellations, and authorization for search warrants between 2012 to the date of processing this request, please provide the following points of record for each:

Full Name of requester
If arrest, arrest ID (eg some cities/states use, "Incident Report")
Reason(s) for search warrant (typically either hand-written, or checkboxes)
Badge ID (or similar) of requester
District/Unit
Name of Judge
Name of approving officer
Whether an Arrest happened
Requested location of search warrant
Location of search warrant execution
Type of search warrant
Statements used to justify search warrant
Time and date when search warrant was submitted for approval
Time and date when search warrant was executed
Whether anything was seized
Whether anything was found
License plate of vehicle (if relevant)
Race of person for search warrant
Age of person for search warrant
State of person for search warrant
Whether an informant was involved
Method of contact with informant leading to search warrant (eg, phone call, mail, fax, email, etc)
Description of person search warrant executed on
Legal code of violation
Description of violation
Date of violation
If search warrant related to debt: name of company debt is owed to, amount owed
Whether FBI involved
ID associated with FBI document (eg, IR #)
Whether search warrant was cancelled
Whether contraband found
Whether narcotics found

The records responsive to this request are likely available in a database, or in some query-able format. If your department or agency does not have direct access to the records, please raise to the respective department that can run queries directly (eg, through SQL).

Should your agency not have all of the requested records within a single record or document, please provide me the relevant documents that do, even if that requires more than one class of document. Should some of the records be unavailable, please let me know ahead of time so that we can narrow the request accordingly.

As the records responsive to this request are imperative for understanding how search warrants are executed, I ask that the public interest of these records be evaluated to the extent that the public's interest outweighs this request's burden. To add, this request is being sent to the largest city of every state and will be collated together to create a comprehensive map of search warrants throughout the US. As such, the records are not only important for understanding search warrants at a local level, but also at a national and state-wide level.

Please ensure that provided documents comply with Section 508, as these records will be shared with members of the public who are covered under the ADA. This guide should be helpful: https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/making-files-accessible/checklist/pdf/index.html

If this request was sent to the wrong department or agency, please let me know so that I can send to the correct place.

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, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Lucy Parsons Labs

From: Providence Police Department

11/05/2019

Subject: Your first record request #19-1113 has been opened.

Portal

City of Providence

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Hi there

Your first City of Providence record request (request number #19-1113) has been submitted.
It is currently unpublished and is not available for the general public to view.

You will receive a response within ten (10) business days. Your request will be available for the public to view thirty (30) days after you receive a final response.

Request #19-1113.

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Questions about your request? Reply to this email or sign in to contact staff at City of Providence. Technical support: See our <a href='https://www.nextrequest.com/support'>help page</a>

From: Providence Police Department

11/20/2019

Subject: Your City of Providence public records request #19-1113 has been closed.

Portal

City of Providence

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Hi there

Record request #19-1113 has been closed. The closure reason supplied was:

Please be advised that no “database” responsive to your request exists and pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-3(h), the City is not required to "reorganize, consolidate, or compile data."

The Public Records Unit has conducted an initial review of the responsive documents and has determined that it will require a significant amount of search, retrieval, review, and redaction to respond to your request. This due, in part, to the fact that records responsive to your request are maintained in different units throughout the Providence Police Department (“PPD”) and your request seeks nearly seven years of records. More specifically, it is estimated that it will take at least 760 hours to process your request. That time would include the search and retrieval of the many records from throughout the PPD, as well as the time to redact the sensitive information contained therein.

Under the Access to Public Records Act, the City may charge $15 per hour for search, retrieval, review, and redaction, with the first hour free. See R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-4(b). Your first hour has already been expended in processing and reviewing this request. Accordingly, you will be charged $11,400.00.

Please note that this is just an estimate and you will be charged based upon actual time and costs—even if such costs is in excess of the estimate initially provided to you. Please further note that nothing in this email represents a determination that responsive records will be found or that, if found, responsive records are public records.

Further, please be advised that much of the information you seek will likely be redacted or withheld consistent with R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-2(4)(D), to prevent the disclosure of information which (a) could reasonably be expected to interfere with investigations of criminal activity or with enforcement proceedings, (b) would deprive a person of a right to a fair trial or an impartial adjudication, (c) could reasonably be expected to constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, (d) could reasonably be expected to disclose the identity of a confidential source, including a state, local, or foreign agency or authority, or any private institution which furnished information on a confidential basis, or the information furnished by a confidential source, (e) would disclose techniques and procedures for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions, or would disclose guidelines for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions or (f) could reasonably be expected to endanger the life or physical safety of any individual.

Additionally, the City may not maintain all of the records you have requested, as, consistent with R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-5-3(b), the City returns some of the records and materials that may be responsive to your request to the District Court.

Kindly note that the time to respond to your request is tolled pending receipt of your authorization and prepayment in the amount set forth in the estimate. Checks made payable to the City of Providence may be sent to: Public Records Unit, 444 Westminster Street, Suite 220, Providence, RI 02903.

In accordance with R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-8, you may wish to appeal this decision to the Chief Administrative Officer. In this instance, Steven M. Paré, Commissioner of Public Safety, fulfills that role. You may also wish to file a complaint with the Department of the Attorney General or the Rhode Island Superior Court.

From: Providence Police Department

12/21/2019

Subject: Your City of Providence public records request #19-1113 has been published.

Portal

City of Providence

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Hi there

Record request #19-1113 has been published and is now available for public view.

From: Providence Police Department

12/21/2019

Subject: Your City of Providence public records request #19-1113 has been published.

Portal

City of Providence

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Hi there

Record request #19-1113 has been published and is now available for public view.

From: Providence Police Department

12/21/2019

Subject: Your City of Providence public records request #19-1113 has been published.

Portal

City of Providence

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Hi there

Record request #19-1113 has been published and is now available for public view.

Files

There are no files associated with this request.

Submitted	Nov. 1, 2019
Est. Completion	None