PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST – IMSI-CATCHER EQUIPMENT (Riverside County Sheriff)

Dear Aaron Swartz:

Thank you for submitting a request for public records to Riverside County Sheriff's Department. Your request was received in this office on 2/28/2023 and given the reference number C000232-022823 for tracking purposes.
Records Requested: " To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the California Public Records Act, I hereby request the following records:

I am writing to request the following information from your office for the period January 1, 2020 to the date of this letter.

- Number, if any, of IMSI-catcher or cell phone interception devices (commonly called stingrays or hailstorms) owned by this department or agency.

- Number, if any, of IMSI-catcher or cell phone interception devices (commonly called stingrays or hailstorms) available for use by this department or agency via collaborative agreements that were utilized within the period encompassing this request. Please provide the name of the department or agency that made IMSI-catcher devices available to this department or agency for use.

- Any documents or correspondence during the period encompassing this request regarding possible or planned acquisition of an IMSI-catcher device.

- Any existing or proposed usage policies regarding the use of cell phone interception technology including protocols, training documents and data storage procedures.

- Any current or past litigation involving or referencing this department or agency involving the use of cell phone interception technology.

Please notify me when this information is available.

Thank you for your attention to this request and for your prompt reply within 10 days.

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 calendar days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Aaron Swartz Day Police Surveillance Project

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Pursuant to California Government Code § 7922.535, staff will review your request and respond within 10 days to notify you if there are responsive records, or if an extension is necessary to determine if responsive records exist.  If your request was received after business hours or on a weekend or holiday, the next business day will be considered the date of receipt. The 10-day response period starts with the first calendar day after the date of receipt. (Civ. Code § 10.)  You may be contacted by the department if there are questions regarding your request.

PLEASE NOTE: The California Public Records Act (CPRA) does not require a governmental body to create new information, to do legal research, or to answer questions.

You can monitor the progress of your request at the link below and you'll receive an email when your request has been completed. Again, thank you for using the Records Request System.
Riverside County Sheriff's Department

--- Please respond above this line ---

RE: Public Records Request of February 28, 2023, Reference # C000232-022823

Dear Aaron Swartz,

On February 28, 2023, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department received your request for records under the California Public Records Act (CPRA) wherein you requested the following:
To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the California Public Records Act, I hereby request the following records:

I am writing to request the following information from your office for the period January 1, 2020 to the date of this letter.

- Number, if any, of IMSI-catcher or cell phone interception devices (commonly called stingrays or hailstorms) owned by this department or agency.

- Number, if any, of IMSI-catcher or cell phone interception devices (commonly called stingrays or hailstorms) available for use by this department or agency via collaborative agreements that were utilized within the period encompassing this request. Please provide the name of the department or agency that made IMSI-catcher devices available to this department or agency for use.

- Any documents or correspondence during the period encompassing this request regarding possible or planned acquisition of an IMSI-catcher device.

- Any existing or proposed usage policies regarding the use of cell phone interception technology including protocols, training documents and data storage procedures.

- Any current or past litigation involving or referencing this department or agency involving the use of cell phone interception technology.

Please notify me when this information is available.

Thank you for your attention to this request and for your prompt reply within 10 days.

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 calendar days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Aaron Swartz Day Police Surveillance Project

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

The above request was numbered for ease of reference. Item #1:
One Item #2:
There are no responsive records. Item #3:
The Riverside County Sheriff's Department has purchased two auxiliary components that work in conjunction with the original Octasic Nyxvcell system. Item #4:
Please visit our website at www.riversidesheriff.org and click on the Transparency button on the top banner.  Scroll down to Department Manual and Policies and click that button. Scroll down and utilize the link for Department Standards Manual and search for Policy 600. Item #5:
There are no responsive records.
Please consider this CPRA request closed.

Sincerely,

Sergeant Justin Pittenger, J.D.
CPRA Unit
Riverside County Sheriff's Department