Drone Documents (Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers)
| Tracking # |
13-4113 |
| Submitted | Oct. 21, 2013 |
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Communications
From: Shawn Musgrave
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Texas Public Information Act , I hereby request the following records:
All documents created from January 2005 to the date this request is processed related to the agency's use of aerial drones, remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs), remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs), unmanned aerials (UAs), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and/or unmanned aerial systems (UASs)(hereinafter “drones”).
Please search specifically for the below document categories, and respond to each of the categories and items:
1) Acquisition documents:
i) requests for proposals (RFPs), proposals/quotes submitted by vendors, contracts, leases, budget requests, project/equipment budgets, cost allocations or reimbursements for the purchase of drone equipment;
ii) Grant applications and award letters for drone equipment purchases;
iii) Insurance contracts for all drone equipment;
iv) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head or agency quartermaster (or individual responsible for equipment purchases and maintenance) and drone vendors, manufacturers or retailers;
v) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head and agency quartermaster (or individual responsible for equipment purchases and maintenance) regarding acquisition, lease or use of drone equipment;
vi) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head and the governor, mayor and city/town manager regarding the acquisition of drones;
vii) Applications (including all components and support documentation) for Certificates of Waiver/Authorization (COA) from the Federal Aviation Administration, as well as COA grant notifications and final agreement;
viii) Contracts for services related to drones, such as data storage, data analysis, image storage, image analysis, video storage, video analysis, operation, maintenance;
2) Equipment logs:
i) Inventories/logs/lists/databases of all drones owned, leased or operated by or for the agency;
ii) Maintenance logs for all drones owned, leased or otherwise operated by or for the agency;
3) Policy documents:
i) Policies, guidelines, protocols, manuals and/or instructions on the use/operation of drones and usage of data, images and video obtained from drone flights;
ii) Communications from the agency head, quartermaster (or individual responsible for overseeing equipment purchases and maintenance) on approved uses for drones;
iii) Memorandums of understanding (MOUs), memorandums of agreement (MOAs) or any other agreements or contracts with other government agencies, private corporations, organizations or individuals to share drone equipment, data, images or video or to operate drones on behalf of the agency;
4) Training documents:
i) Curriculum used to train drone operators and observers;
ii) Training log for all drone operators and observers;
iii) Certifications of training completion for all drone operators and observers;
iv) Contracts, purchase orders, budget requests or reimbursement orders for training sessions for all drone operators and observers;
5) Usage documents:
i) Flight logs for all drone flights, including training flights;
ii) Flight logs transmitted to the Federal Aviation Administration pursuant to Certificate of Waiver/Authorization (COA) requirements;
iii) Reprimands relating to drones, including misuse of equipment and failure to properly maintain equipment.
I also request that, if appropriate, fees be waived as I believe this request is in the public interest. The requested documents will be made available to the general public free of charge as part of the public information service at MuckRock.com, processed by a representative of the news media/press and is made in the process of news gathering and not for commercial usage.
In the event that fees cannot be waived, 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 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Shawn Musgrave
From: Rangers
Thank you for contacting the Texas Rangers. Per the guidelines of the Freedom of Information Act, the following process will need to be followed to submit your request.
Public Information Act
The Public Information Act guarantees the public access to information maintained by a government agency. It is our policy to provide you with the fullest possible access to public information. If you wish to request records under the Texas Public Information Act, please refer to the following requirements and guidelines.
Requests for public information must be made in writing. Your request should include your name, address, and as much description as you can provide regarding the records you are requesting.
Electronic requests will be accepted only if they are sent through our Public Information Request page or emailed to OGC.Webmaster@dps.texas.gov.
Telephone requests are not considered public information requests.
To request a driving record, you must submit the required information and pay the applicable fee.
• You may obtain your own driving record online.
• You must submit the appropriate form to the Driver Record's Bureau to obtain another's driver record.
DR-1, Application for Copy of Driver Record (PDF)
DR-36, Certified Abstract of Operating Record (PDF)
To request a criminal history record, you must submit the required information and pay the applicable fee.
• You may obtain your own criminal history record by following the procedure set forth in CR-63, Procedure for Review of Personal Criminal History Record Information (PDF).
• Criminal history record information pertaining to a conviction of or a grant of deferred adjudication to a person for any criminal offense is available online.
• Public CHRI may also be obtained by submitting a request containing as much identifying information as possible, along with a check or money order in the amount of $10 made out to TxDPS, to Crime Records Service, PO Box 15999, Austin, TX 78761-5999.
Requests for information may be mailed to Open Records, Box 4087, Austin, TX 78773-0140; faxed to (512) 424-5716; dropped off in person at 5805 N. Lamar Blvd, Austin; or submitted via the Public Information Request page, or emailed to OGC.Webmaster@dps.texas.gov.
DPS is under no legal obligation to respond if the requirements of the Public Information Act are not followed. For questions about the Public Information Act, please consult the Office of Attorney General, Open Government Division.
This information can be found on the DPS website at: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/pia.htm
From: Shawn Musgrave
Hello,
The records request below was emailed to Rangers@dps.texas.gov on October 15. Please confirm receipt.
Thank you,
Shawn Musgrave
MuckRock
============
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Texas Public Information Act , I hereby request the following records:
All documents created from January 2005 to the date this request is processed related to the agency's use of aerial drones, remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs), remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs), unmanned aerials (UAs), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and/or unmanned aerial systems (UASs)(hereinafter “drones”).
Please search specifically for the below document categories, and respond to each of the categories and items:
1) Acquisition documents:
i) requests for proposals (RFPs), proposals/quotes submitted by vendors, contracts, leases, budget requests, project/equipment budgets, cost allocations or reimbursements for the purchase of drone equipment;
ii) Grant applications and award letters for drone equipment purchases;
iii) Insurance contracts for all drone equipment;
iv) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head or agency quartermaster (or individual responsible for equipment purchases and maintenance) and drone vendors, manufacturers or retailers;
v) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head and agency quartermaster (or individual responsible for equipment purchases and maintenance) regarding acquisition, lease or use of drone equipment;
vi) Communications (including electronic communications) between the agency head and the governor, mayor and city/town manager regarding the acquisition of drones;
vii) Applications (including all components and support documentation) for Certificates of Waiver/Authorization (COA) from the Federal Aviation Administration, as well as COA grant notifications and final agreement;
viii) Contracts for services related to drones, such as data storage, data analysis, image storage, image analysis, video storage, video analysis, operation, maintenance;
2) Equipment logs:
i) Inventories/logs/lists/databases of all drones owned, leased or operated by or for the agency;
ii) Maintenance logs for all drones owned, leased or otherwise operated by or for the agency;
3) Policy documents:
i) Policies, guidelines, protocols, manuals and/or instructions on the use/operation of drones and usage of data, images and video obtained from drone flights;
ii) Communications from the agency head, quartermaster (or individual responsible for overseeing equipment purchases and maintenance) on approved uses for drones;
iii) Memorandums of understanding (MOUs), memorandums of agreement (MOAs) or any other agreements or contracts with other government agencies, private corporations, organizations or individuals to share drone equipment, data, images or video or to operate drones on behalf of the agency;
4) Training documents:
i) Curriculum used to train drone operators and observers;
ii) Training log for all drone operators and observers;
iii) Certifications of training completion for all drone operators and observers;
iv) Contracts, purchase orders, budget requests or reimbursement orders for training sessions for all drone operators and observers;
5) Usage documents:
i) Flight logs for all drone flights, including training flights;
ii) Flight logs transmitted to the Federal Aviation Administration pursuant to Certificate of Waiver/Authorization (COA) requirements;
iii) Reprimands relating to drones, including misuse of equipment and failure to properly maintain equipment.
I also request that, if appropriate, fees be waived as I believe this request is in the public interest. The requested documents will be made available to the general public free of charge as part of the public information service at MuckRock.com, processed by a representative of the news media/press and is made in the process of news gathering and not for commercial usage.
In the event that fees cannot be waived, 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 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Shawn Musgrave
From: OGC Webmaster
Please see attached.
Molly Cost
Assistant General Counsel
Texas Dept. of Public Safety
Office of General Counsel
(512) 424-2890
This e-mail, including any attached files, may contain confidential and privileged information for the sole use of the intended recipient. Any review, use, distribution, or disclosure by others is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient (or authorized to receive information for the intended recipient), please contact the sender by reply e-mail and delete all copies of this message.
From: OGC Webmaster
Please see attached.
Molly Cost
Assistant General Counsel
Texas Dept. of Public Safety
Office of General Counsel
(512) 424-2890
This e-mail, including any attached files, may contain confidential and privileged information for the sole use of the intended recipient. Any review, use, distribution, or disclosure by others is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient (or authorized to receive information for the intended recipient), please contact the sender by reply e-mail and delete all copies of this message.
From: Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers
A copy of documents responsive to the request.
-
Responsive Documents
From: Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers
A copy of documents responsive to the request.
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HB 912 - Relating to images captured by unmanned aircraft.msg
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RE HB 912 and proposed rules for law enforcement re unmanned airc.msg
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RE UAV.msg
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RE rulemaking for HB 912.msg
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2013 Public Safety Guidance on UAS Operations - Public Safety Re.msg
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Annapolis IACP_UAGuidelines.msg
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FOX News States Step Up Fight Against Drones.msg
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Proposed New Section 1 143 - Use of Unmanned Aircraft by a Law Enf.msg
There are too many files to display on this communication. See all files
From: Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers
A copy of documents responsive to the request.
From: Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers
A cover letter granting the request and outlining any exempted materials, if any.
From: Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers
A cover letter granting the request and outlining any exempted materials, if any.
From: Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers
A copy of documents responsive to the request.
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 Oct. 21, 2013. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #13-4113.
Thank you for your help.
From: OGC Webmaster
We have sent three responses to your request: the first via email on 11/4/13, the second via email on 11/12/13, and the third via first class mail on 11/25/13 (see attached). The records included in the 11/25/13 mailing are too large to email.
Please let me know if you have additional questions.
Molly Cost
Assistant General Counsel
Texas Department of Public Safety
Office of General Counsel
(512) 424-2890 phone
(512) 424-5716 fax
OGC.Webmaster@dps.texas.gov
From: Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers
A letter stating that the request appeal has been rejected.
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