Firearm Project, Savannah, GA
| Submitted | Oct. 31, 2016 |
| Due | Nov. 3, 2016 |
| Est. Completion | None |
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Communications
From: Ben Hallman
Hi,
Pursuant to the state’s public records law, I am requesting access to and copies of records from your agency as part of our continuing coverage of gun trafficking. I have broken the request into three parts, each of which details the records that we are seeking. As expressed below, the date range for each part of this request is January 1, 2010 to the present:
1) Detailed information on stolen guns
It is our understanding that law enforcement agencies keep detailed records about firearms that were reported stolen by the citizens they serve. We are therefore requesting the following for each case of reported firearm theft in your jurisdiction:
-- The police report number and/or incident number for the firearm theft
-- The serial number, make, model, caliber, type and any other descriptive information for each firearm that was reported stolen
We would appreciate if this data was provided in a spreadsheet. If a spreadsheet is provided, please provide any record layout and/or code sheets.
The date range for this part is January 1, 2010 to the present.
2) Detailed information about crime guns
Second, it is our understanding that law enforcement agencies maintain detailed records about firearms that were used in crimes, recovered at crimes scenes or seized during investigations in their jurisdictions, including the make, model and serial number of each gun. We are therefore requesting the following:
-- The following records regarding firearms used in crimes in your agency’s jurisdiction, recovered at crime scenes or seized during investigations: the make, model, and serial number of each gun; the date of the crime; the police report number for the crime; the type of crime the firearm was used in; and the address where the crime was committed.
If your agency maintains a spreadsheet or database containing these records, we ask that you please provide that database. I would be grateful if this data was collated into a spreadsheet where each row represents one case, the same as part 1) “Detailed information about stolen guns.”
I would like to note that we are not at this time seeking copies of police reports or any other investigative records associated with these crimes; we are only seeking information about the firearms used and some general information about the crimes that is generally released to the public.
The date range for this part is also January 1, 2010 to the present.
3) Detailed information on lost, stolen or unaccounted for law enforcement guns
Finally, it is our understanding that law enforcement agencies maintain detailed records about firearms that, while under the control and/or in the possession of their employees, went missing, were lost or stolen, or are otherwise accounted for. Therefore we request the following:
-- Any and all records of department-issued firearms that were lost, stolen, went missing or are otherwise accounted for.
-- If your department does not issue firearms, then we ask for any and all records of firearms that were lost, stolen, went missing or otherwise became unaccounted for while under the control and/or in the possession of one of your employees.
The records should include but not be limited to the following:
• The make, model, serial number and caliber of each lost or stolen firearm
• The location and address where the firearm was stolen
• The date of the loss or theft.
• The date the lost or theft was reported
• Whether each lost or stolen firearm was recovered
• If the lost or stolen firearm was recovered, the date and location of the recovery
• A description of how the firearm was lost or stolen
• Whether negligence on the part of the employee is/was suspected in the loss or theft of the firearm
• Whether the employee in control of the firearm retired, was terminated or otherwise left the department, and if so, the date and circumstances of the employee’s departure and whether his or her gun was retrieved and/or recovered.
• Any other individual reports and findings on the individual lost or stolen firearms
The records should include but not be limited to databases, reports, memos, internal affairs investigations, emails or other correspondence, and/or any other records.
The date range for this part is also January 1, 2010 to the present.
Please label each record in a clear manner. As a news organization, we will be making information obtained from this request available to the general public and are not requesting it for commercial purposes.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you informed me of the total charges before completing my request. We request that if you send an invoice, you make it out to The Trace.
I would prefer the requested information be sent via an e-mail attachment if available, or a mailed CD-ROM if not. If standard mail must be used, we ask that you send the request to the following address:
The Trace (at WeWork)
Attn: Brian Freskos
428 Broadway
New York, NY 10013
Thank you in advance for your help with this request. I look forward to receiving your response. If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact me on my cell phone: (919) 522-6354
Sincerely,
Brian Freskos
From: Jennifer Herman
Dear Mr. Feskos:
This will acknowledge receipt of your October 31, 2016 Open Records Act request seeking extensive data, in a specified format, and supporting records concerning firearms and crime related thereto.
According to Georgia's sunshine law, we are not required to prepare "new reports, summaries or compilations not in existence at the time of the request." See O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71(j). However, we acknowledge that information obtainable via execution of commands on existing computer programs used in the ordinary course of the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department's business is subject to production. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71(f). Thus, attached hereto are three Excel spreadsheets concerning: (1) lost/stolen SCMPD officer weapons; (2) recovered firearms; and (3) Spotcrime reports. This information is produced electronically, as you requested.
Apart from entering commands to formulate data fields, and to the extent your request was intended to encompass additional materials, the City estimates the costs of searching for, retrieving and preparing them for production will exceed $500. In that case, the legislature has said that we may demand prepayment. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71(d). To obtain each and every document concerning "lost, stolen, [] missing or [] otherwise accounted for" department-issued firearms since the beginning of time (more accurately, June 20, 1796 when our City fathers created the Guard and Watch under the leadership of a captain) will require search within the following City offices, departments, and bureaus: SCMPD; Municipal Archives; the Clerk's Office; the City Attorney's Office; the City Manager's Office; IT; and HR, at a minimum. Assuming each assigns one full time staff member to search for and retrieve records, we conservatively estimate such work implicates 15 hours for each office. At an average rate of $20 per hour, less the first ¼ hour, we anticipate costs for this activity will amount to $2,065. While difficult to predict, for computation purposes we estimate the return of 2,500 pages. That results in copying costs of $250. Those records will require review for redaction purposes, which is performed by the Law Department's paralegal. Reviewing an average of two pages per minute at $24.67 per hour, results in review and redaction costs of $507.79. Accordingly, please send to me a check, payable to the "City of Savannah", in the amount of $2,822.79. Upon receipt, we will begin work and advise of an estimated completion date.
With regard to the attached, Georgia's Open Records Act empowers the City to seek reimbursement of costs under the $500 threshold. Here, an Intelligence unit staff member expended 1 hour and 36 minutes gathering and preparing the attached. His rate is $30.75/hour. Less the first 15 minutes of time (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71(c)(1)), the costs associated with this portion of your request amount to $39.97. Please send a check to my attention, payable to the "City of Savannah", in the amount of $39.97.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Jennifer N. Herman
Senior Assistant City Attorney
Gamble Building, 3rd Floor
6 East Bay Street (31401)
P.O. Box 1027
Savannah, GA 31402
(912) 525-3092 (o)
(912) 525-3100, x8804 (direct)
(912) 525-3267 (f)
(912) 657-1031 (c)
jherman@savannahga.gov<mailto:jherman@savannahga.gov>
From: Ben Hallman
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you for sending this information. For the lost, stolen or otherwise unaccounted for lost or stolen law enforcement weapons, we are not requesting all documents since the creation of the department, but since January 1, 2010. Sorry for the confusion. Please provide a cost estimate for that information.
From: Ben Hallman
And would you mind sending me an invoice made out to The Trace for $39.97 so I can forward to our accounting folks?
Can the department provide data on lost and stolen weapons reported by citizens to police?
From: James Dale
Mr. Feskos,
Good morning. I have directed our records unit to prepare and mail you an invoice as you requested.
In regard to your request regarding lost and stolen weapons reported by citizens to police; it is my understanding that what Ms. Herman provided you includes all of the responsive information available to us that can be produced via a database query. I will, however, follow up with our statistical analyst to confirm.
Good luck in your reporting. Feel free to follow up with me directly if you need anything further.
J. Brian Dale
Open Records Supervisor
Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department
601 E. 66th St., Ste. 100
Savannah, GA 31405
912-525-3100 (ext. 2817)
912-692-4500 (fax)
jdale@savannahga.gov
From: Ben Hallman
Thank you Brian. Please me know about the lost and stolen weapons reported by citizens. The most important thing for our purposes is that we receive the serial numbers for these weapons.
From: Ben Hallman
Hi Brian,
Our accounting folks sent a check for $39.97 to your office but your office sent it back. Just trying to clear this up so we get you the money we owe. Sorry if there was any confusion. Should I stick this back in the mail for you? If so, is there something I can write on it so you know it's from me?
From: James Dale
Good morning.
Truthfully, the amount of money involved is not worth my time to track down the source of the problem. Mark it paid and move on.
J. Brian Dale
Open Records Supervisor
Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department
601 E. 66th St., Ste. 100
Savannah, GA 31405
912-525-3100 (ext. 2817)
912-692-4500 (fax)
jdale@savannahga.gov
From: Ben Hallman
Sounds good to me. Thank you!
From: Brian Freskos
Hi Brian,
We are formatting the data and had a question about the codes in the Invol column. I think I figured most of them out, but there are a couple I don't know:
STN = Stolen
EVD = Evidence
OUT = ?
RCV = Recovered
SAR = ?
SFK = Safekeeping
SZD = Seized
Also, what is the difference between "Evidence" and "Seized?" And what does it mean from a departmental standpoint when a gun is "Recovered?"