Virtual Reality technology contracts and other documentds (Metropolitan Police Department)

This is an automated message from the DC Government FOIA system. Dear Janus Rose,
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This is an automated message from the DC Government FOIA system. Dear Janus Rose, Request Number 2021-FOIA-06875 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:

- Any and all contracts regarding the use of virtual reality simulators, including contracts with the companies Axon, Survivr, Street Smarts VR, Govred, Apex Officer, VirTra, Inc. Catapult Games, Evolution VR, and Wrap Technologies, Inc.

- Any and all training manuals related to virtual reality technologies utilized by the department

- Communications between the Department and email addresses that end in @apexofficer.com, @wrap.com, @survivr.com, @streetsmartsvr.com, @govred.com, @catapultgamesvr.com, @virtra.com, @theevr.com, @wrap.com from 1/1/2020 to the time this request is processed

- Communications between the Department and email addresses that end in @axon.com that include any of the following terms: “virtual reality” “VR” “community engagement” “vive” “oculus” “simulation” “simulator” and “headset” from 1/1/2020 to the time this request is processed

- Billing records, including game purchases, associated with virtual reality platforms utilized by the department

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,

Janus Rose

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/ In all future correspondence regarding this request, please reference request number 2021-FOIA-06875. 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 Janus Rose, 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-06875 Description: To Whom It May Concern:Pursuant to the DC Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:- Any and all contracts regarding the use of virtual reality simulators, including contracts with the companies Axon, Survivr, Street Smarts VR, Govred, Apex Officer, VirTra, Inc. Catapult Games, Evolution VR, and Wrap Technologies, Inc.- Any and all training manuals related to virtual reality technologies utilized by the department- Communications between the Department and email addresses that end in @apexofficer.com, @wrap.com, @survivr.com, @streetsmartsvr.com, @govred.com, @catapultgamesvr.com, @virtra.com, @theevr.com, @wrap.com from 1/1/2020 to the time this request is processed- Communications between the Department and email addresses that end in @axon.com that include any of the following terms: “virtual reality” “VR” “community engagement” “vive” “oculus” “simulation” “simulator” and “headset” from 1/1/2020 to the time this request is processed- Billing records, including game purchases, associated with virtual reality platforms utilized by the departmentThe 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,Janus RoseUpload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/ Regards,
DC Government FOIA Portal

This is an automated message from the DC Government FOIA system. Dear Janus Rose, 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: 2021-FOIA-06875 Description: To Whom It May Concern:Pursuant to the DC Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:- Any and all contracts regarding the use of virtual reality simulators, including contracts with the companies Axon, Survivr, Street Smarts VR, Govred, Apex Officer, VirTra, Inc. Catapult Games, Evolution VR, and Wrap Technologies, Inc.- Any and all training manuals related to virtual reality technologies utilized by the department- Communications between the Department and email addresses that end in @apexofficer.com, @wrap.com, @survivr.com, @streetsmartsvr.com, @govred.com, @catapultgamesvr.com, @virtra.com, @theevr.com, @wrap.com from 1/1/2020 to the time this request is processed- Communications between the Department and email addresses that end in @axon.com that include any of the following terms: “virtual reality” “VR” “community engagement” “vive” “oculus” “simulation” “simulator” and “headset” from 1/1/2020 to the time this request is processed- Billing records, including game purchases, associated with virtual reality platforms utilized by the departmentThe 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,Janus RoseUpload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/ Regards,
DC Government FOIA Portal

This is an automated message from the DC Government FOIA system. Dear Janus Rose, 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-06875 Description: To Whom It May Concern:Pursuant to the DC Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:- Any and all contracts regarding the use of virtual reality simulators, including contracts with the companies Axon, Survivr, Street Smarts VR, Govred, Apex Officer, VirTra, Inc. Catapult Games, Evolution VR, and Wrap Technologies, Inc.- Any and all training manuals related to virtual reality technologies utilized by the department- Communications between the Department and email addresses that end in @apexofficer.com, @wrap.com, @survivr.com, @streetsmartsvr.com, @govred.com, @catapultgamesvr.com, @virtra.com, @theevr.com, @wrap.com from 1/1/2020 to the time this request is processed- Communications between the Department and email addresses that end in @axon.com that include any of the following terms: “virtual reality” “VR” “community engagement” “vive” “oculus” “simulation” “simulator” and “headset” from 1/1/2020 to the time this request is processed- Billing records, including game purchases, associated with virtual reality platforms utilized by the departmentThe 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,Janus RoseUpload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/ Regards,
DC Government FOIA Portal

September 30, 2021

Janus Rose

MuckRock News

Department MR 116701

411A Highland Avenue

Somerville, Massachusetts 02144-2516

requests@muckrock.com<mailto:requests@muckrock.com>

RE: FOIA: Request No.: 2021-FOIA-06875

Dear Ms. Rose:

This concerns your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for:

"- Any and all contracts regarding the use of virtual reality simulators, including contracts with the

companies Axon, Survivr, Street Smarts VR, Govred, Apex Officer, VirTra, Inc. Catapult Games,

Evolution VR, and Wrap Technologies, Inc.

- Any and all training manuals related to virtual reality technologies utilized by the department

- Communications between the Department and email addresses that end in @apexofficer.com,

@wrap.com, @survivr.com, @streetsmartsvr.com, @govred.com, @catapultgamesvr.com,

@virtra.com, @theevr.com, @wrap.com from 1/1/2020 to the time this request is processed

- Communications between the Department and email addresses that end in @axon.com that

include any of the following terms: "virtual reality" "VR" "community engagement" "vive" "oculus"

"simulation" "simulator" and "headset" from 1/1/2020 to the time this request is processed

- Billing records, including game purchases, associated with virtual reality platforms utilized by

the department."

A review of the description of a number of the items of this request indicate that we not able to perform a reasonable and adequate search for specific records, relative to the lack of specific subject matter or other identifying characteristics, and in light of the request to search for unspecified records that cover a long period of time. Except for the request for contracts, two items of the request asks for either training materials or billing records, without a specific description pertaining to them; and, multiple items of the request provide only various domain names and key words to be matched in "communications" over an extended period of time. 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 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."

Again, except for the request for contracts, various parts of the FOIA request ask for records by broad category/categories. They ask, in effect, for research to be performed on behalf of the requester. Electronic searches for such a category or categories may produce a large volume of miscellaneous unrelated materials, and processing documents produced in an initial search for such a request or requests may take an inordinate amount of 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 miscellaneous materials to identify material that is actually responsive; reviewing for material that may be exempt from release under the FOIA; coordinating and consulting with various components, agencies, and 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.

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. Therefore, we are unable to carry out further processing for these parts of this request. We 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 readily identifiable document(s) with, if at all possible, the author and recipient, date, and specific subject matter and content, in order to allow a reasonable search to be completed.

As to portion of the request asking for contracts, you may wish to submit a FOIA request for contracting/procurement records, if any, to the Office of Contracting and Procurement (OCP), a separate District of Columbia agency, rather than MPD, by submitting your request, electronically, through the District of Columbia FOIA web page/portal: https://foia-dc.gov/palMain.aspx; or, to Jeremiah Regan, 441 4th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20001, Phone: (202) 727-0252.

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."