MPD Special Police Commissions
| Tracking # |
2023-FOIA-08105 |
| Submitted | Aug. 4, 2023 |
| Est. Completion | Sept. 12, 2023 |
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Communications
From: Sam Stecklow
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the DC Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:
This request is brought by Big Local News along with a collaboration of news organizations, including the Invisible Institute, ABC Owned TV Stations, KQED, MuckRock, and other news organizations. Big Local News is a program of Stanford University’s Journalism and Democracy Initiative and helps journalists collect, process and analyze public data.
I am seeking electronic data maintained by MPD regarding Special Police Officers (including Campus and University Special Police) that apply and are granted commissions by the District, and such commissions that are later stripped away.
Please provide any databases or spreadsheets containing any of the following information:
Commissions:
* Unique ID
* Date of Commission
* Name of Special Police Officer
* Agency of Special Police Officer
* Demographics of Special Police Officer
Revocations of Commissions:
* Unique ID
* Date of Commission
* Date of Revocation
* Agency of Special Police Officer
* Reason for Revocation
I am seeking two categories of records: employment roster data, and law enforcement lateral transfer data. Here, employment roster data means any spreadsheets or databases showing the names, salaries, positions, date of hire, demographic information, and any other co-located information regarding current AND former employees of UDC Police. Lateral transfer data means any spreadsheets or databases showing the names, position, date of hire, and previous employer of all current AND former UDC law enforcement employees who were hired as lateral transfers.
Please provide current AND former employment roster data for the UDC Police and current AND former law enforcement lateral transfer data dating back as far as they are maintained in an electronic format.
If your data system contains data elements not listed above, please include them in the response, provided they are releasable under the law. On the other hand, we recognize some of the information we are asking for may not be tracked by your system. If that is the case, we are willing to accept as many of the data elements as your agency maintains. If some records are more readily available, we are happy to receive partial information as soon as possible while the remaining request is processed.
In addition to the data elements listed, we request documentation necessary to understand and interpret the data, including but not limited to record layouts, data dictionaries, code sheets, lookup tables, etc.
Our preference is to receive structured data provided in a machine-readable text file, such as delimited or fixed-width formats. We can also handle a variety of other data formats including SQL databases, Excel workbooks and MS Access. If there are additional formats your agency would prefer to provide, please let us know.
Electronic records such as databases are public under DC FOIA. As the D.C. Court of Appeals has explained:
Electronic records have been subject to D.C. FOIA since the Council extended the statute's coverage through the Freedom of Information Amendment Act of 2000, D.C. Law 13–283, 48 D.C. Reg. 1917 (2001). The Council stated that its intent, “in keeping with the general purpose of FOIA,” was “to provide the public greater access to information, improve the effectiveness of the law, and encourage better government responsiveness to requests for public records.” Committee on Government Operations, D.C. Council, Report on Bill No. 13–829 at 1 (2000). As amended, D.C. FOIA provides that “[i]n responding to a request for records pursuant to this section, a public body shall make reasonable efforts to search for the records in electronic form or format, except when the efforts would significantly interfere with the operation of the public body's automated information system.” D.C. Code Ann. § 2–532(a–2). (Fraternal Order of Police v. District of Columbia, 139 A.3d 853, 866 n.29 (D.C. 2016).)
We are seeking this information as a news media organization on a matter of public interest concerning the conduct of government. As such, we ask for a waiver of all fees because the information requested can be considered as primarily benefiting the general public D.C. Code Ann. § 2-532(b). If you do deny the fee waiver request, please do not incur fees above $100.
Thank you
Sam Stecklow
Journalist
Invisible Institute
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 15 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Sam Stecklow
From: Metropolitan Police Department
This is an automated message from the DC Government FOIA system.
Dear Sam Stecklow,
Request Number 2023-FOIA-08105 has been assigned to the request you submitted.
In all future correspondence regarding this request, please reference request number 2023-FOIA-08105. To check for status, please log in https://foia-dc.gov/palMain.aspx and go to Request Status.
For any questions regarding your request, please contact the FOIA office directly. Find the list of agency Open Governement and FOIA contact information by visiting FOIA Contact Information. For ease of reference, we ask that you have your FOIA Request Number available when you contact the FOIA office. (https://dc.gov/node/818962)
Regards,DC Government FOIA Portal
Having technical difficulties? Email or call 202-478-5973 (mailto:foia.support@dc.gov) foia.support@dc.gov
From: Metropolitan Police Department
Dear Mr. Stecklow, This e-mail is toacknowledge receipt of your FOIA request assigned: 2023-FOIA-08105.Your assigned FOIA Specialist is: ShaniaHughes.
If you have any questions regarding your request, please contact yourassigned FOIA Specialist who is included in this e-mail. Be advised, ouroffice operates on a hybrid onsite/remote work schedule. Therefore, ifyou are unable to reach your specialist when calling our office, please makecontact via e-mail. For ease of reference, we ask that you have your FOIARequest Number available when you contact our office. Once the requesteddocuments are received, please be advised of the following notations below: RESPONSE TIME Pu rsuant to D.C. Official Code §2-532(c), there is a 15 business day statutory allotted time, subject tothe possibility of a ten (10) business day extension from the date of receiptto respond to a FOIA request. If your request is for Body Worn Camera (BWC) footage, there is a25 business day statutory allotted time, subject to the possibility of 15working-day extension from the date of receipt to respond to a Body Worn Camera (BWC) request. REQUEST FOR EXPEDITED SERVICE If you seek expedited service relating to your FOIA request,please be advised, there is no provision or authority under the District ofColumbia Freedom of Information Act laws, to provide expedited service. Therefore, your request will be processed under the provision of the D.C.Official Code §§ 2-531 et seq. Regards, Latrina Crumlin Staff Assistant Freedom of Information Act(FOIA) Office Metropolitan Police Department 300 Indiana Ave NW, RM 4153 Washington, DC 20001
From: Metropolitan Police Department
This is an automated message from the DC Government FOIA system. Dear Sam Stecklow, The status for your request is below. Please log into https://foia-dc.gov/palMain.aspx and go to Request Status. If you have any questions regarding the status of your request, please contact the agency's FOIA office that you had submitted your FOIA request to. You can communicate directly with the FOIA office by clicking on Inbox, search the request number, and then click Compose Message. OR, visit to see a list DC Government FOIA Office’s/officer’s contact information and have your Request ID ready. (https://dc.gov/node/818962) Contact FOIA Office Request status: In Process Request ID: 2023-FOIA-08105 Description: Please See attachment for description. Regards,
DC Government FOIA Portal
From: Metropolitan Police Department
Good Morning:
Please find attached the final response to your MPD FOIA request.
Regards,
Shania Hughes
FOIA Specialist
Body Worn Cameras
Metropolitan Police Department
300 Indiana Avenue, NW Rm 4002
Washington, DC 20001
(202)727-0512
Shania.hughes@dc.gov<mailto:Shania.hughes@dc.gov>
"Excellence is Transferable"
From: Metropolitan Police Department
This is an automated message from the DC Government FOIA system. Dear Sam Stecklow, The status for your request is below. Please log into https://foia-dc.gov/palMain.aspx and go to Request Status. If you have any questions regarding the status of your request, please contact the agency's FOIA office that you had submitted your FOIA request to. You can communicate directly with the FOIA office by clicking on Inbox, search the request number, and then click Compose Message. OR, visit to see a list DC Government FOIA Office’s/officer’s contact information and have your Request ID ready. (https://dc.gov/node/818962) Contact FOIA Office Request status: Closed Request ID: 2023-FOIA-08105 Description: Please See attachment for description. Regards,
DC Government FOIA Portal
From: Sam Stecklow
Hello Shania
First, the inclusion of language about UDC officers was included by mistake as a copy+paste error. So we are only seeking data about Special Police Officer commissions in this request, not UDC police specifically.
I would appreciate some clarification about this denial. MPD clearly has a process to both appoint and revoke Special Police Officer commissions. Is it really MPD's assertion that it does not maintain any data about either of those processes?
Sam
From: Metropolitan Police Department
Hello
This is in response to you FOIA request for the following:
seeking two categories of records: employment roster data, and law enforcement lateral transfer data. Here, employment roster data means any spreadsheets or databases showing the names, salaries, positions, date of hire, demographic information, and any other co-located information regarding current AND former employees of DC Protective Services Division. Lateral transfer data means any spreadsheets or databases showing the names, positions, date of hire, and previous employers of all current AND former DCPSD law enforcement/correctional employees who were hired as lateral transfers.
Please provide current AND former employment roster data for the DCPSD and current AND former law enforcement lateral transfer data dating back as far as they are maintained in an electronic format.
In addition to the data elements listed, we request documentation necessary to understand and interpret the data, including but not limited to record layouts, data dictionaries, code sheets, lookup tables, etc.
Under the District of Columbia (DC) FOIA the agency has 15 business days and in unusual circumstances can request a 10-business day extension with no additional extensions possible. We are taking a 10-workday extension under FOIA, DC Code §2-531-539 in order to properly process the request for reason due to the need to search for, collect, and examine a voluminous amount of records. Therefore, we will have a response to your request no later than September 12, 2023.
As previously stated, please know that, under D.C. Official Code § 2-537 and 1 DCMR 412, you have the right to appeal this response to the Mayor or to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. If you elect to appeal to the Mayor, your appeal must be in writing and contain “Freedom of Information Act Appeal” or “FOIA Appeal” in the subject line of the letter as well on the outside of the envelope. The appeal must include (1) a copy of the original request; (2) a copy of any written denial; (3) a statement of the circumstances, reasons, and/or arguments advanced in support of disclosure; and (4) a daytime telephone number, and e-mail and/or U.S. Mail address at which you can be reached. The appeal must be mailed to: The Mayor’s Correspondence Unit, FOIA Appeal; 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 407, Washington, D.C. 20004. Electronic versions of the same information can instead be e-mailed to The Mayor’s Correspondence Unit at foia.appeals@dc.gov<mailto:foia.appeals@dc.gov>.
Further, a copy of all appeal materials must be forwarded to the Freedom of Information Officer of the involved agency or to the agency head of that agency if there is no designated Freedom of Information Officer there. Failure to follow these administrative steps will result in delay in the processing and commencement of a response to your appeal to the Mayor.
Thanks
VICTORIA BARTEE
Freedom of Information Act Specialist
Department of General Services
General Counsel
3924 Minnesota Avenue, NE.
Washington, DC 20019
Desk: (202)671-2313
Cell: (202)617-1976
victoria.bartee@dc.gov<mailto:victoria.bartee@dc.gov>
www.dgs.dc.gov<http://www.dgs.dc.gov/>
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www.twitter.com/dcdgs<http://www.twitter.com/dcdgs>
DGS has a new home east of the Anacostia River! Effective June 1, 2023, the Department of General Services (DGS) will be relocated from 2000 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009 (Franklin D. Reeves Center) to its new headquarters at 3924 Minnesota Ave, NE, Washington, DC 20019. Please update your records and mailing address to reflect this change.
DGS has a new home east of the Anacostia River! Effective June 1, 2023, the Department of General Services (DGS) will be relocated from 2000 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009 (Franklin D. Reeves Center) to its new headquarters at 3924 Minnesota Ave, NE, Washington, DC 20019. Please update your records and mailing address to reflect this change.
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From: Metropolitan Police Department
This is an automated message from the DC Government FOIA system. Dear Sam Stecklow, The status for your request is below. Please log into https://foia-dc.gov/palMain.aspx and go to Request Status. If you have any questions regarding the status of your request, please contact the agency's FOIA office that you had submitted your FOIA request to. You can communicate directly with the FOIA office by clicking on Inbox, search the request number, and then click Compose Message. OR, visit to see a list DC Government FOIA Office’s/officer’s contact information and have your Request ID ready. (https://dc.gov/node/818962) Contact FOIA Office Request status: Closed Request ID: 2023-FOIA-08135 Description: I am seeking two categories of records: employment roster data, and law enforcement lateral transfer data. Here, employment roster data means any spreadsheets or databases showing thenames, salaries, positions, date of hire, demographic information, and any other co-located information regarding current AND former employees of DC Protective Services Division. Lateraltransfer data means any spreadsheets or databases showing the names, positions, date of hire, and previous employers of all current AND former DCPSD law enforcement/correctional employees who were hired as lateral transfers.Please provide current AND former employment roster data for the DCPSD and current AND former law enforcement lateral transfer data dating back as far as they are maintained in an electronic format. Regards,
DC Government FOIA Portal
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