Ransomware incidents (Metropolitan Police Department)

This is an automated message from the DC Government FOIA system. Dear Emma North-Best,
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DC Government FOIA Portal Having technical difficulties? Email FOIA.SystemAdmin@dc.gov or call 202-478-5973

This is an automated message from the DC Government FOIA system. Dear Emma North-Best, Request Number 2021-FOIA-07603 has been assigned to the request you submitted in relation to: Request description: To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the DC Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

Documents, including but not limited to emails, memos, and incident reports, mentioning or describing any reported or encountered incidents of "ransomware," which may be loosely defined as a type of malware that threatens to permanently encrypt and/or unless a ransom is paid.

I am a member of the news media and request classification as such. I have previously written about the government and its activities, with some reaching over 100,000 readers in outlets such as Gizmodo, MuckRock, Motherboard, Property of the People, Unicorn Riot, and The Outline, among others. As such, as I have a reasonable expectation of publication and my editorial and writing skills are well established. In addition, I discuss and comment on the files online and make them available through non-profits such as the library Internet Archive and the journalist non-profit MuckRock, disseminating them to a large audience. While my research is not limited to this, a great deal of it, including this, focuses on the activities and attitudes of the government itself. As such, it is not necessary for me to demonstrate the relevance of this particular subject in advance.

As my primary purpose is to inform about government activities by reporting on it and making the raw data available, I request that fees be waived.

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,

Emma North-Best

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/ In all future correspondence regarding this request, please reference request number 2021-FOIA-07603. 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 FOIA.SystemAdmin@dc.gov or call 202-478-5973

This is an automated message from the DC Government FOIA system. Dear Emma North-Best, 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: Assigned for Processing Request ID: 2021-FOIA-07603 Description: To Whom It May Concern:Pursuant to the DC Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:Documents, including but not limited to emails, memos, and incident reports, mentioning or describing any reported or encountered incidents of "ransomware," which may be loosely defined as a type of malware that threatens to permanently encrypt and/or unless a ransom is paid.I am a member of the news media and request classification as such. I have previously written about the government and its activities, with some reaching over 100,000 readers in outlets such as Gizmodo, MuckRock, Motherboard, Property of the People, Unicorn Riot, and The Outline, among others. As such, as I have a reasonable expectation of publication and my editorial and writing skills are well established. In addition, I discuss and comment on the files online and make them available through non-profits such as the library Internet Archive and the journalist non-profit MuckRock, disseminating them to a large audience. While my research is not limited to this, a great deal of it, including this, focuses on the activities and attitudes of the government itself. As such, it is not necessary for me to demonstrate the relevance of this particular subject in advance.As my primary purpose is to inform about government activities by reporting on it and making the raw data available, I request that fees be waived.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,Emma North-BestUpload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/ Regards,
DC Government FOIA Portal

Dear Ms./Mrs. North-Best, Our office is in receipt of yourFreedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Your FOIA request number is 2021-FOIA-07603and your assigned FOIA Specialist is Robert Eckert If you have any questions regardingyour request, please contact your assigned FOIA Specialist, who is included inthis e-mail. Be advised, due to thecurrent public health emergency, our office is working remotely and can bereached via e-mail. For ease ofreference, we ask that you have your FOIA Request Number available when youcontact our office. NOTE: Pu rsuant to D.C.Official Code § 2-532(c), there is a 15business day statutory allotted time, subject to the possibility of a ten (10)business day extension from the date of receipt to respond to a FOIA request. If your request is for BodyWorn Camera (BWC) footage, there is a 25 business day statutory allotted time,subject to the possibility of 15 working-day extension from the date of receipt to respond to a Body Worn Camera (BWC) request. REQIESTFOR EXPEDITED SERVICE If you seek expedited service relating toyour FOIA request, please be advised, there is no provision or authority underthe District of Columbia Freedom of Information Act laws, to provide expeditedservice.  Therefore, your request will be processed under the provision ofthe 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

August 26, 2021

Emma North-Best
MuckRock News
Department MR 118377
411A Highland Avenue
Somerville, Massachusetts 02144-2516
requests@muckrock.com<mailto:requests@muckrock.com>

RE: FOIA Request No. 2020-FOIA-07603

Dear Ms. North-Best:

This concerns your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for: "Documents, including but not limited to emails, memos, and incident reports, mentioning or describing any reported or encountered incidents of "ransomware," which may be loosely defined as a type of malware that threatens to permanently encrypt and/or unless a ransom is paid."

Upon review, the description of this request is such that we are not able to perform a reasonable and adequate search for specific records that would relate to such characteristics as clearly defined/particularized subject matter, author and recipient, date, and content. The FOIA specifies that a FOIA request must reasonably describe records sought such that agency staff familiar with the records may reasonably ascertain exactly which records are being requested, and to locate them. The courts have recognized that the legislative history of the FOIA indicates that a description of a requested record is sufficient if it enables a professional agency employee familiar with the subject area to locate the record with a "reasonable amount of effort." The courts have also found that requests that are so broad and sweeping that they lack specificity are not reasonably described.

This FOIA request asks for records by broad category or categories without specific, particularized subject matter and other specifically identifying characteristics pertaining to specific records. As such it describes a broad area or areas of records. Electronic searches for such a category or categories may produce a large volume of unrelated and unresponsive materials, and processing documents produced in an initial search for such a request or requests may take an inordinate amount of very limited FOIA processing time. The processing of such a FOIA request is a very a time- and labor-intensive process which requires locating tentatively responsive records; re-searching through these materials to identify material that is or may be actually responsive; reviewing for material that may be exempt from release under the FOIA; coordinating and consulting with other components, agencies, and other external entities which may have an interest in the disposition of the records; and, the completion of further administrative processing and review. The courts have said that the FOIA was not intended to reduce government agencies to be investigators or to perform research on behalf of requesters. Again, the FOIA does not require agencies to conduct "unreasonably burdensome" searches for records. Therefore, we are closing our file on this request.

Please note that the District of Columbia (DC) FOIA, DC Code §§ 2-531-539, provides that while a person has the right to request access to existing records, it does not require agencies to do research, analyze data, answer written questions, or create records to respond to a FOIA request. We strongly advise that a significantly more refined and limited description be provided for any future FOIA request(s) such that it is as specific as possible relative to (a) particular document(s) with, if at all possible, the author and recipient, date, specific subject matter, and content, in order to allow a reasonable search to be completed.

Please know that, under D.C. Official Code § 2-537 and 1 DCMR § 412, you have the right to appeal this letter 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, an e-mail and/or U.S. mailing address at which you can be reached.

The appeal must be mailed to: The Mayor's Office of Legal Counsel, 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 Office of Legal Counsel 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.

Sincerely,

Bob Eckert

FOIA Specialist

Freedom of Information Act Office

Metropolitan Police Department

District of Columbia

Robert.eckert@dc.gov<mailto:Robert.eckert@dc.gov>

"Excellence is transferable."

This is an automated message from the DC Government FOIA system. Dear Emma North-Best, 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: 2021-FOIA-07603 Description: To Whom It May Concern:Pursuant to the DC Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:Documents, including but not limited to emails, memos, and incident reports, mentioning or describing any reported or encountered incidents of "ransomware," which may be loosely defined as a type of malware that threatens to permanently encrypt and/or unless a ransom is paid.I am a member of the news media and request classification as such. I have previously written about the government and its activities, with some reaching over 100,000 readers in outlets such as Gizmodo, MuckRock, Motherboard, Property of the People, Unicorn Riot, and The Outline, among others. As such, as I have a reasonable expectation of publication and my editorial and writing skills are well established. In addition, I discuss and comment on the files online and make them available through non-profits such as the library Internet Archive and the journalist non-profit MuckRock, disseminating them to a large audience. While my research is not limited to this, a great deal of it, including this, focuses on the activities and attitudes of the government itself. As such, it is not necessary for me to demonstrate the relevance of this particular subject in advance.As my primary purpose is to inform about government activities by reporting on it and making the raw data available, I request that fees be waived.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,Emma North-BestUpload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/ Regards,
DC Government FOIA Portal

This is an automated message from the DC Government FOIA system. Dear Emma North-Best, 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: Assigned for Processing Request ID: 2022-FOIA-00401 Description: Emails, memos, letters, documents and other records discussing or mentioning implemented or proposed mask mandate policies, as well as discussions regarding their expiration or termination between January 1, 2020 and the present. (Date Range for Record Search: From 1/1/2020 To 10/15/2021) Regards,
DC Government FOIA Portal

This is an automated message from the DC Government FOIA system. Dear Emma North-Best, 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: 2022-FOIA-00401 Description: Emails, memos, letters, documents and other records discussing or mentioning implemented or proposed mask mandate policies, as well as discussions regarding their expiration or termination between January 1, 2020 and the present. (Date Range for Record Search: From 1/1/2020 To 10/15/2021) Regards,
DC Government FOIA Portal