Police data collection project (Spokane County Sheriff's Office)

Dear Samuel Sinyangwe:
Thank you for your interest in public records of Spokane County. Your request has been received and is being processed in accordance with the State of Washington Public Records Act, Chapter 42.56 RCW. Your request was received in this office and given the reference number R002381-070620 for tracking purposes. Records Requested: To Whom It May Concern:

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

1. the total number of use of force incidents, separated by year and by type of force used from 2016-2019 (for example, "27 taser incidents in 2016, 3 baton incidents in 2017, etc.)
2. the total number of civilian complaints alleging any form of law enforcement misconduct that were reported and the total number sustained, separated by year (for example, 8 complaints in 2016, 2 complaints sustained in 2017, 4 complaints in 2018, 1 complaint sustained in 2019, etc.)
3. the total number of civilian complaints alleging law enforcement use of excessive force that were reported and the total number sustained from 2016-2019, separated by year
4. the total number of civilian complaints alleging biased policing or racial profiling that were reported and the total number sustained from 2016-2019, separated by year

Note that my requests for civilian complaints are specifically for civilian complaints alleging police misconduct, please do not include complaints filed by one officer/the department against another officer.

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 5 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Samuel Sinyangwe

Upload documents directly: https://https://www.muckrock.comhttps://accounts.muckrock.com/accounts/login/?url_auth_token=AAAwLMyQ_gKHxZfHlysTK9ujJ1s%3A1jsgsy%3A3mN95CsNkiTTlZG8ZoyGH4ItuqE&next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.muckrock.com%2Faccounts%2Flogin%2F%3Fnext%3D%252Faccounts%252Fagency_login%252Fspokane-county-sheriffs-office-561%252Fpolice-data-collection-project-spokane-county-sheriffs-office-97722%252F%253F
Not all public documents are available in electronic format. If the document(s) requested are not available electronically, we will make them available for inspection or by paper copy in accordance with the Public Records Act, Chapter 42.56 RCW.

Your request will be forwarded to the relevant department(s) to locate the information you seek and to determine the volume and any costs associated with satisfying your request. You will be contacted about the availability and/or provided with copies of the records in question. PLEASE NOTE: The State of Washington Public Records Act, Chapter 42.56 RCW, 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.
Spokane County

--- Please respond above this line ---

Samuel Sinyangwe:
In accordance with the Public Records Act, RCW 42.56.520, this message acknowledges receipt of your public records request, received by Spokane County on 7/6/2020. This request has been assigned reference codeR002381-070620. Please include this code in any communications concerning this request.
Specifically, you requested: “To Whom It May Concern:

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

1. the total number of use of force incidents, separated by year and by type of force used from 2016-2019 (for example, "27 taser incidents in 2016, 3 baton incidents in 2017, etc.)
2. the total number of civilian complaints alleging any form of law enforcement misconduct that were reported and the total number sustained, separated by year (for example, 8 complaints in 2016, 2 complaints sustained in 2017, 4 complaints in 2018, 1 complaint sustained in 2019, etc.)
3. the total number of civilian complaints alleging law enforcement use of excessive force that were reported and the total number sustained from 2016-2019, separated by year
4. the total number of civilian complaints alleging biased policing or racial profiling that were reported and the total number sustained from 2016-2019, separated by year

Note that my requests for civilian complaints are specifically for civilian complaints alleging police misconduct, please do not include complaints filed by one officer/the department against another officer.

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 5 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Samuel Sinyangwe

Upload documents directly: https://https://www.muckrock.comhttps://accounts.muckrock.com/accounts/login/?url_auth_token=AAAwLMyQ_gKHxZfHlysTK9ujJ1s%3A1jsgsy%3A3mN95CsNkiTTlZG8ZoyGH4ItuqE&next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.muckrock.com%2Faccounts%2Flogin%2F%3Fnext%3D%252Faccounts%252Fagency_login%252Fspokane-county-sheriffs-office-561%252Fpolice-data-collection-project-spokane-county-sheriffs-office-97722%252F%253F”
We reasonably anticipate an installment/requested records will be available on or before August 28, 2020. If public records become available in advance of this estimate, we will let you know. Conversely, if staff encounters a need to extend our estimate, we will advise accordingly.
Finally, please be advised that there may be fees associated with the copying of public records. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with Spokane County's Public Records Request Policy and Fee Schedule, which can be found in the FAQs section.
Sincerely,
OZZIE D. KNEZOVICH, Sheriff
Spokane County
Tiffany Kinnick
Public Records Officer
Please do not update subject line above when replying.

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Samuel Sinyangwe:
This message is to provide an update on your public records request assigned reference code R002381-070620.
An installment of responsive records are now available for download in the “My Request Center” of the public records portal. Instructions for downloading the files follows:
* Navigate to the Spokane County Public Records Center by following the blue "Public Records Center" hyperlink contained in the footer of this email.
* Log in with your user name and password. You will be taken directly into this request.
* Click on the "Download All" button directly above the blue "Files" box. *If you have a pop-up blocker, you will need to allow pop-ups for this site in order for the files to download. After they have downloaded, if the files do not open automatically, they will appear in your computer's "Downloads" folder.
We reasonably believe the next installment of records responsive will be available on or before October 30, 2020. If records become available in advance of this date, we will let you know. Conversely, if we encounter a need for additional time, we will contact you promptly with a revised completion date.
Sincerely,
OZZIE D. KNEZOVICH, Sheriff
Spokane County
Tiffany Kinnick
Public Records Officer
Please do not update subject line above when replying. To monitor the progress or update this request please log into the

--- Please respond above this line ---

Samuel Sinyangwe:
I’m writing to update you on your public records request assigned reference code R002381-070620. An installment of responsive records are now available for download in the “My Request Center” of the public records portal. Instructions for downloading the files follows:
* Navigate to the Spokane County Public Records Center by following the blue "Public Records Center" hyperlink contained in the footer of this email.
* Log in with your user name and password. You will be taken directly into this request.
* Click on the "Download All" button directly above the blue "Files" box. *If you have a pop-up blocker, you will need to allow pop-ups for this site in order for the files to download. After they have downloaded, if the files do not open automatically, they will appear in your computer's "Downloads" folder.
This is the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office final and definitive response to this request. This request is considered closed. PLEASE NOTE: If you want to pick up printed copies of the records from the Public Safety Building, you must call 509-477-6926 at least one business day before you plan to arrive so that we can have the records ready for you. Depending on the number of pages, printing charges may apply.
Sincerely,
OZZIE D. KNEZOVICH, Sheriff
Spokane County
Tiffany Kinnick
Public Records Officer
Please do not update subject line above when replying. To monitor the progress or update this request please log into the