SB 978 Policies/URL (Sonoma County District Attorney)

To Whom It May Concern:

This is a request for public records under the California Public Records Act (CPRA).

Under SB 978, a law passed in 2018, "each local law enforcement agency shall conspicuously post on their Internet Web sites all current standards, policies, practices, operating procedures, and education and training materials that would otherwise be available to the public if a request was made pursuant to the California Public Records Act."

Pursuant to CPRA, I request the following records:

• All current standards, policies, practices, operating procedures, and education and training materials in use by this agency.

If these records are already available online, please provide me with the direct links to them. Otherwise, I would prefer these records in an electronic format.

If there are any fees for searching or copying these records, please inform me if the cost will exceed $10. However, I would also like to request a waiver of all fees in that the disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest and will contribute significantly to the public’s understanding of police practices. As the Senate Rules Committee wrote in its May 26, 2018 floor analysis:

"Making regulations of law enforcement agencies easily accessible to the public helps educate the public about law enforcement policies, practices, and procedures, increases communication and community trust, and enhances transparency while saving costs and labor associated with responding to individual requests for this information."

This information is not being sought for commercial purposes. Furthermore, the requested materials are required by law to be made easily available due to their importance to the public.

The California Public Records Act requires a response within 10 business days. If access to the records I am requesting will take longer, please contact me with information about when I might expect copies or the ability to inspect the requested records.

If you deny any or all of this request, please cite each specific exemption you feel justifies the refusal to release the information and notify me of the appeal procedures available to me under the law.

I can be reached via email at the address attached to this request.

I appreciate your time and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Respectfully,
Beryl Lipton