Springfield, MO PD Citizen Complaints
| Tracking # |
SR 2733 |
| Submitted | Aug. 17, 2017 |
| Est. Completion | None |
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Communications
From: Alexander Cartwright and Jennifer Dirmeyer
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Missouri Sunshine Law and the Missouri Public Records Law, I hereby request the following records:
We are Economics Professors in the College of Business at Ferris State University, and are engaged in an empirical research project on police behavior and citizen complaints. This project requires us to request data from your department. If you have questions about this request or suggestions, we would be happy to discuss them with you.
1. What is the total number of citizen complaints (allegations of misconduct) made against your department’s officers annually for the last 10 years? If your department logs complaints in a database, spreadsheet, or other log, a copy of those logs is fine instead.
Please include the type of complaint (i.e., use of force, abuse language, unwarranted search) and the result of complaint (i.e., sustained, exonerated).
2. What is the total number of complaints police officers made against their peer officers in department annually for the last 10 years? If your department logs complaints in a database, spreadsheet, or other log, a copy of those logs is fine instead.
Please include the type of complaint (i.e., use of force, abuse language, unwarranted search) and the result of complaint (i.e., sustained, exonerated).
3. What is the annual number of officers involved in shootings in your department for the past 10 years? Any documentation or reports that detail the annual number of officer-involved shootings in your department for the past 10 years would be sufficient.
Please include documentation regarding how many of these officer-involved shootings involved disciplinary action. (Please list officer firearm discharge directed at a person separately from a shooting involving an animal and separately from accidental firearm discharges).
Please include the number of officer-involved shootings resulting in discipline.
4. Which of the above data are published publicly? Please provide a link to any and all publicly available reports containing the data above.
Collecting this information is very important to our research, so we would like to emphasize, if you have questions about my request or suggestions, we would be happy to discuss them with you.
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 3 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Alexander Cartwright and Jennifer Dirmeyer
From: Climer, Anita Baker
Mr. Cartwright and Ms. Dirmeyer,
I am in receipt of the Sunshine Request dated August 18, 2017, which was received in the Springfield City Clerk's Office via e-mail. You have requested records regarding the attached.
I have forwarded your request to the Springfield Police Department that may have records responsive to your request. All non-privileged material responsive to your request will be provided to you. Prior to the Springfield Police Department providing this material, Crystal Higdon, Police Services Administrator, will contact you directly concerning the charges associated with accumulating this information and providing copies to you.
Anita Baker Climer
Administrative Assistant
Springfield City Clerk's Office
Phone: 864-1654
Fax: 864-1649
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From: Higdon, Crystal
Mr. Cartwright and Ms. Dirmeyer-
I have forwarded your request to the appropriate unit within our department for their review. I do not yet have a cost estimate for you until I hear back from them. I will notify you as soon as I have that. Typically, with a request of this size, we advise that it could take up to 30 days to produce any records responsive. However, we will send them sooner if possible. I will be in touch again soon. Thank you for your patience.
Crystal Higdon
Custodian of Records
Crystal Higdon
Police Services Administrator
321 E. Chestnut Expressway
Springfield, MO 65802
Ph: 417.864.1814
Fax: 417-864-1713
[SPD-emailSigLOGO]<http://www.springfieldmo.gov/spd/>
From: Alexander Cartwright and Jennifer Dirmeyer
Hello,
Thank you for the update. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Respectfully,
Alex Cartwright
From: Higdon, Crystal
Mr. Cartwright and Ms. Dirmeyer-
I have received a response regarding your request and it is as follows.
Regarding #1: We currently have annual reports published on our website for 2011-2016. Within each report is a section about Internal Affairs investigations. There are no existing documents to provide that contain this information for years prior to 2011. You can find our annual reports at gospd.com or https://www.springfieldmo.gov/2597/Become-a-Police-Officer', click "Information" and then "Annual reports". The definitions for the complaint classifications can also be found within our Standard Operating Guidelines on our website. To get to our SOG's via our website, click on "About Us" and then on "Standard Operating Guidelines." The specific policy that discusses Internal Affairs is 103.10, Disciplinary Investigation Process.
Regarding #2: This information is closed pursuant to RSMo 610.021 (3) and (13), as it related to the "hiring, firing, disciplining or promoting of particular employees by a public governmental body when personal information about the employee is discussed or recorded" and contains "individually identifiable personnel records, performance ratings or records pertaining to employees or applicants for employment."
Regarding #3: Information regarding the number of officer involved shootings is also in the annual reports mentioned above. The information regarding "disciplinary action" is closed pursuant to RSMo 610.201 (3) and (13). (See above)
Regarding #4: The information is available on our website, https://www.springfieldmo.gov/2597/Become-a-Police-Officer' (See above)
Please let me know if you have further questions.
Thank you,
Crystal Higdon
From: Alexander Cartwright and Jennifer Dirmeyer
Thank you for the information provided thus far.
For #2, perhaps I should use the word "internal complaints" to better describe what I am looking for. Do you have any data on the number of internal complaints in your department for each year during the past 10 years?
Respectfully,
Alex Cartwright
From: MuckRock.com
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on Aug. 17, 2017. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #SR 2733.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Higdon, Crystal
We do not have a record that contains “data on the number of internal complaints” in our department for the past ten years.
From: Alexander Cartwright and Jennifer Dirmeyer
Hi,
Thanks so much for your help with this request! I really appreciate it.
Sincerely,
Alexander Cartwright and Jennifer Dirmeyer
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