GPS tracking tag launcher acquisition and use (Vancouver Police Department)
| Tracking # |
P003859-071321 |
| Multi Request | GPS tracking tag launcher acquisition and use |
| Submitted | July 13, 2021 |
MuckRock users can file, duplicate, track, and share public records requests like this one. Learn more.
Communications
From: Phil Mocek
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Washington Public Records Act, I hereby request the following records:
1. Records regarding your agency's acquisition of StarChase or other "GPS canon" devices (vehicle-mounted or hand-held GPS tracking tag launchers), including but not limited to invoices, purchase orders, contracts, loan agreements, evaluation agreements, solicitation letters, correspondence with companies and public agencies that provide the devices, and similar documents.
2. All nondisclosure agreements with StarChase, any other corporation, or any state or federal agencies, regarding your agency's actual or potential possession or use of GPS tracking tag launchers or associated software such as AppTrac-365
3. Records regarding policies and guidelines governing use of GPS tracking tag launchers, including but not limited to 1) when, where, how, and against whom they devices may be used, 2) under what circumstances administrative warrant, judicial warrant, or other legal process must, should, or should not be obtained prior to, during, or following direct or indirect use of the devices, 4) under what circumstances the existence or use of the devices must, should, or should not be revealed to judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, criminal defendants, or the general public., and 5) parallel construction techniques for use in avoidance of disclosure of the initial method of discovery of information gained initially by use of GPS tracking tag launchers or associated software
4. Training materials for use of GPS tracking tag launchers or associated software, including but not limited to memos, guidelines, or slideshows mentioning the technology
5. Records regarding any communications or agreements with wireless service providers (i.e., mobile phone carriers) concerning use of GPS tracking tag launchers
6. Procedures for the keeping of statistics about your agency's use of GPS tracking tag launchers
7. Records reflecting the number of investigations in which GPS tracking tag launchers were used, the number of those investigations that resulted in prosecutions, and the number of those investigations that resulted in convictions
8. Records reflecting a list of all criminal cases, with docket numbers if available, in which law enforcement officers or other staff used or arranged for the use of one or more GPS tracking tag launchers as part of the underlying investigations
9. All applications submitted to state or federal courts for warrants, orders, or other other authorization for use of GPS tracking tag launchers, as well as any warrants, orders, authorizations, denials of warrants, denials of orders, denials of authorization, and returns of warrants associated with those applications
10. Records regarding the use of GPS tracking tag launchers in closed investigations
11. Date and docket number of any responsive records that are sealed
12. All associated metadata
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,
Phil Mocek
From: Vancouver Police Department
This message is to notify you that your password has changed.
This is an auto-generated email and has originated from an unmonitored email account. Please DO NOT REPLY
From: Vancouver Police Department
--- Please respond above this line ---
From: Vancouver Police Department
--- Please respond above this line ---
08/23/2021
Sent via email to: requests@muckrock.com
Phil Mocek
MuckRock News DEPT MR 115816 411A Highland Ave
Somerville MA 02144-2516
RE: PUBLIC DISCLOSURE REQUEST P003859-071321
Dear Phil Mocek:
This letter is an update of your records request received by the City of Vancouver on 7/13/2021 10:19:44 PM. It is our understanding that you are requesting the following documents: 1. Records regarding your agency's acquisition of StarChase or other "GPS canon" devices (vehicle-mounted or hand-held GPS tracking tag launchers), including but not limited to invoices, purchase orders, contracts, loan agreements, evaluation agreements, solicitation letters, correspondence with companies and public agencies that provide the devices, and similar documents.2. All nondisclosure agreements with StarChase, any other corporation, or any state or federal agencies, regarding your agency's actual or potential possession or use of GPS tracking tag launchers or associated software such as AppTrac-3653. Records regarding policies and guidelines governing use of GPS tracking tag launchers, including but not limited to 1) when, where, how, and against whom they devices may be used, 2) under what circumstances administrative warrant, judicial warrant, or other legal process must, should, or should not be obtained prior to, during, or following direct or indirect use of the devic
The City notified you previously that we need additional information before we could assist you with your request, and would be closing your request if we did not receive a response within 30 days. To date, we have not received a reply. We are, therefore, closing your request.
Sincerely,
Raelyn McJilton
Public Records Officer
From: Phil Mocek
Dear Ms. McJilton:
In your acknowledgement of my July 14 request, which you sent via email on July 23, instead of replying in the email, you apparently chose to obscure your message by composing and render a print-ready PDF and attaching that to the email instead of simply putting your response in the message's body. As a result, I am only now reading its content.
In that message, you asked repeatedly for me to narrow my request. In each category where you request limitation by date, I am amenable to limiting search to the past seven years. I note that a reasonable assumption for you to make would have been that my request was for records from all years. Those categories of records (#2, #3, #4, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10) did not require any clarification, and you did not ask for any clarification. Thus, it was improper to close my request. Please search promptly to make up for the six weeks you wasted during this needless delay.
Regarding the categories for which you requested clarification:
#1: How best to perform this search is up to you and to your agency's subject matter experts. I suggest that for your search, you use terms "gps cannon," "gps launcher," "gps tracking tag launcher," "starchase," and "star chase", as well as others that people at your agency who would be concerned with acquiring, evaluating, or using such devices suggest to you. As this is an automated search, narrowing my request by time seems unlikely to reduce your burden, so please search all emails on file that are available for online access (i.e., please do not go so far as to pull tape backups for older records before checking back with me about any need to do so).
#5: I don't know how to help you find these records. You will presumably need to check with staff who would be concerned with arranging for mobile phone/data service for surveillance devices used by your agency in order to find out how they separate records from mobile carriers regarding standard mobile phones from those regarding other devices, such as GPS tracking tags. Whoever handles your agency's relationships with mobile carriers presumably knows how to find related records.
#11: This applies to items in #10, which were "Records regarding the use of GPS tracking tag launchers in closed investigations." I meant to request that for any records from category #10 that you are unable to provide due to those records having been sealed by the court, you provide date and docket numbers for those requests.
#12: This is a standard inclusion in public records requests with which I would expect you to be familiar. I meant to explicitly state that for any records that have metadata (typically, this applies specifically to electronic records) you provide metadata. Agencies have been known to omit such data when requesters do not explicitly request it, so as a general rule, I do so.
Cordially,
Phil Mocek
From: Vancouver Police Department
--- Please respond above this line ---
09/07/2021 Sent via email to: requests@muckrock.com Phil Mocek MuckRock News DEPT MR 115816 411A Highland Ave Somerville MA 02144-2516 RE: PUBLIC DISCLOSURE REQUEST P003859-071321 Dear Phil Mocek: This letter is an update of your records request received by the City of Vancouver on 7/13/2021 10:19:44 PM. It is our understanding that you are requesting the following documents: 1. Records regardingyour agency's acquisition of StarChase or other "GPS canon" devices(vehicle-mounted or hand-held GPS tracking tag launchers), including but notlimited to invoices, purchase orders, contracts, loan agreements, evaluationagreements, solicitation letters, correspondence with companies and publicagencies that provide the devices, and similar documents. 2. All nondisclosure agreements with StarChase, any othercorporation, or any state or federal agencies, regarding your agency's actualor potential possession or use of GPS tracking tag launchers or associatedsoftware such as AppTrac-365
3. Records regarding policies and guidelines governinguse of GPS tracking tag launchers, including but not limited to 1) when, where,how, and against whom they devices may be used, 2) under what circumstancesadministrative warrant, judicial warrant, or other legal process must, should,or should not be obtained prior to, during, or following direct or indirect useof the devices, 4) under what circumstances the existence or use of the devicesmust, should, or should not be revealed to judges, prosecutors, defenseattorneys, criminal defendants, or the general public., and 5) parallelconstruction techniques for use in avoidance of disclosure of the initialmethod of discovery of information gained initially by use of GPS tracking taglaunchers or associated software
4. Training materials for use of GPS tracking taglaunchers or associated software, including but not limited to memos,guidelines, or slideshows mentioning the technology
5. Records regarding any communications or agreementswith wireless service providers (i.e., mobile phone carriers) concerning use ofGPS tracking tag launchers
6. Procedures for the keeping of statistics about youragency's use of GPS tracking tag launchers
7. Records reflecting the number of investigations inwhich GPS tracking tag launchers were used, the number of those investigationsthat resulted in prosecutions, and the number of those investigations thatresulted in convictions
8. Records reflecting a list of all criminal cases, withdocket numbers if available, in which law enforcement officers or other staffused or arranged for the use of one or more GPS tracking tag launchers as partof the underlying investigations
9. All applications submitted to state or federal courtsfor warrants, orders, or other authorization for use of GPS tracking taglaunchers, as well as any warrants, orders, authorizations, denials ofwarrants, denials of orders, denials of authorization, and returns of warrantsassociated with those applications
10. Records regarding the use of GPS tracking taglaunchers in closed investigations
11. Date and docket number of any responsive records thatare sealed
12. All associated metadata
With regards to the records requested in the above items, a partial installment of records is being provided in .pst and .pdf format. These records include all purchase orders with line items regarding "gps" and email messages. No redactions or exemptions have been applied to these records.
Due to the City’s other currently outstanding public records requests that we are in the process of responding to, I anticipate that the City will need until 10/29/2021 to locate and assemble the requested documents, notify third parties affected by the request pursuant to RCW 42.56.520, and to determine whether any of the information requested is exempt from disclosure. Please log into your GovQA account to access these records: https://www.cityofvancouver.us/fms/page/public-records Sincerely, Raelyn McJilton Public Records Officer
From: Vancouver Police Department
--- Please respond above this line ---
10/29/2021 Sent via email to: requests@muckrock.com Phil Mocek MuckRock News DEPT MR 115816 411A Highland Ave Somerville MA 02144-2516 RE: PUBLIC DISCLOSURE REQUEST P003859-071321 Dear Phil Mocek: This letter is an update of your records request received by the City of Vancouver on 7/13/2021 10:19:44 PM. It is our understanding that you are requesting the following documents: 1. Records regarding your agency's acquisition of StarChase or other "GPS canon" devices (vehicle-mounted or hand-held GPS tracking tag launchers), including but not limited to invoices, purchase orders, contracts, loan agreements, evaluation agreements, solicitation letters, correspondence with companies and public agencies that provide the devices, and similar documents. The City has provided you copies of our purchase orders under installment one.
2. All nondisclosure agreements with StarChase, any other corporation, or any state or federal agencies, regarding your agency's actual or potential possession or use of GPS tracking tag launchers or associated software such as AppTrac-365 No responsive records were located for this portion of your request
3. Records regarding policies and guidelines governing use of GPS tracking tag launchers, including but not limited to 1) when, where, how, and against whom they devices may be used, 2) under what circumstances administrative warrant, judicial warrant, or other legal process must, should, or should not be obtained prior to, during, or following direct or indirect use of the devices, 4) under what circumstances the existence or use of the devices must, should, or should not be revealed to judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, criminal defendants, or the general public., and 5) parallel construction techniques for use in avoidance of disclosure of the initial method of discovery of information gained initially by use of GPS tracking tag launchers or associated software https://www.cityofvancouver.us/police/page/department-policies (https://u8387795.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=jp-2BB7HRWzbCr3Yxacp9bhw-3D-3Dv6BN_FWaNyd8tCqukJuC3HNQGAYaaR338ZXclI79WxqfSDaNNOngn6CD9U0JIHGuw9vRce9MutH-2FDQFjm6G11HSIkzecmzkp0jjhXO87lsHXdnNpovGQ9aeQ3tqQHjqTKS4cvd4VKGfJNf2eXJFOHzvUUTDtpSbEkjJACpcyrOYXY7Epcj4mO7aCQsQ0E0vhpvew2s65cYs0MoKhS9Cmf2FJO3Ao0AhQLqRfU-2B2g7pPdidfOK-2B7f9Vm3R1KCDCvrJfKaJl9r9KHqmIKTp1f2n87ScN4KdnCTPxtDol0sDxHT1FcIpuHbjHDVZ-2BjLonbT4qJKm8cdN6ZZStaiqk6usJsMqNf0UpmrGV3jNfVRlGR4NpXRQ6zg-2FX9DHdXy2skeWBHr28pDClTr2VE-2FaDUc-2FIY-2Bbjw-3D-3D)
4. Training materials for use of GPS tracking tag launchers or associated software, including but not limited to memos, guidelines, or slideshows mentioning the technology No responsive records were located for this portion of your request
5. Records regarding any communications or agreements with wireless service providers (i.e., mobile phone carriers) concerning use of GPS tracking tag launchers If any, they would be in the email messages under installment one or two.
6. Procedures for the keeping of statistics about your agency's use of GPS tracking tag launchers This information is not tracked by the City of Vancouver.
7. Records reflecting the number of investigations in which GPS tracking tag launchers were used, the number of those investigations that resulted in prosecutions, and the number of those investigations that resulted in convictions This information is not tracked by the City of Vancouver.
8. Records reflecting a list of all criminal cases, with docket numbers if available, in which law enforcement officers or other staff used or arranged for the use of one or more GPS tracking tag launchers as part of the underlying investigations This information would be with Clark County. The City does not track this information.
9. All applications submitted to state or federal courts for warrants, orders, or other other authorization for use of GPS tracking tag launchers, as well as any warrants, orders, authorizations, denials of warrants, denials of orders, denials of authorization, and returns of warrants associated with those applications If any, they would be in the email messages under installment one or two. 10. Records regarding the use of GPS tracking tag launchers in closed investigations Since the City does not track this information, we do not have a way to provide any closed investigation materials. We, therefore, have no records responsive to this portion of your request.
11. Date and docket number of any responsive records that are sealed Docket information is with the courts of Clark County.
12. All associated metadata Messages were provided in a pst format as requested. With regards to the records requested in the above items, this final installment of records is being provided in .pdf format. For this installment of records, the City has made redactions to the documents where information is exempt from disclosure pursuant to the Washington State Public Records Act, RCW 42.56 RCW or other applicable authorities. Brief explanations of the particular exemptions are attached with reference to the page number of the titled .pdf file. If the applicability of each exemption is not sufficiently clear to you, please contact me so that I may further explain the basis for non-disclosure. If the above interpretation of your request is incorrect, please clarify your request so the City may fully respond. If you do not advise that we have misinterpreted your request in any way, then the City will conclude that it adequately determined the scope of your request and the City will consider your request closed. Please log into your GovQA account to access these records: https://www.cityofvancouver.us/fms/page/public-records Sincerely, Raelyn McJilton Public Records Officer
-
P3859_Mocek_pst
Files
pages