Domestic Violence Protection Orders in Washington

Dear Mackey O'Keefe:
Thank you for your interest in public records of the Washington State Patrol. Your request has been received and is being processed in accordance with the Revised Code of Washington, RCW 42.56. Your request was received in this office on 2/11/2024 and given the reference number R002274-021124 for tracking purposes.
Records Requested: To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Washington Public Records Act, I hereby request the following records:

Records containing data on Domestic Violence Protection Orders, including the information listed below, in Washington from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2023, broken down by year and county, ideally at an individual case level.

Your department has very helpfully provided extreme risk protection order data in the past, and I am hoping you could help with this request as well.

1. The total number of Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO) petitions filed
2. The total number of DVPOs granted, broken down by ex-parte temporary and final orders
3. The total number of DVPOs denied, broken down by ex-parte temporary and final orders
4. The total number of DVPOs that prohibit respondents from possessing firearms, broken down by ex-parte temporary and final orders
5. The total number of DVPOs that require relinquishment of firearms, broken down by ex-parte temporary and final orders
6. The total number of DVPOs where firearms were successfully relinquished to a law enforcement agency
7. The total number of DVPOs where no firearms were relinquished due to the respondent stating they don’t have any
8. The total number of DVPOs where the respondent pled their Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination
9. The total number of DVPOs where firearms were ordered to be relinquished but were not relinquished
10. The total number of firearms relinquished to law enforcement
11. The total number of firearms returned after the expiration of the order
12. The total number of firearms that were not returned after the expiration of the order because the respondent was prohibited from firearm possession

I greatly appreciate any help you can provide.

At a minimum, I am looking for the number of orders granted and how many required relinquishment of firearms, irrespective of whether you have or are able to share any of the other requested information.

If there is any information listed above that you do collect and can share, I will take whatever you are able to provide.

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,

Mackey O'Keefe

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/
Your request will be forwarded to the relevant Washington State Patrol department(s) to locate the information you seek and to determine the volume and any costs associated with satisfying your request. You will be contacted about the availability and/or provided with copies of the records in question. PLEASE NOTE: The Washington Public Records Act does not require a governmental body to create new information, to do legal research, or to answer questions.

You can monitor the progress of your request at the link below and you'll receive an email when your request has been completed. Again, thank you for using the Public Records Center.
Washington State Patrol

--- Please respond above this line ---
RE: Public Records Request of February 11, 2024, Reference # R002274-021124 Dear Mackey O'Keefe, The Washington State Patrol has received yourpublic disclosure request regarding: “To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Washington Public Records Act, I hereby request the following records:

Records containing data on Domestic Violence Protection Orders, including the information listed below, in Washington from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2023, broken down by year and county, ideally at an individual case level.

Your department has very helpfully provided extreme risk protection order data in the past, and I am hoping you could help with this request as well.

1. The total number of Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO) petitions filed
2. The total number of DVPOs granted, broken down by ex-parte temporary and final orders
3. The total number of DVPOs denied, broken down by ex-parte temporary and final orders
4. The total number of DVPOs that prohibit respondents from possessing firearms, broken down by ex-parte temporary and final orders
5. The total number of DVPOs that require relinquishment of firearms, broken down by ex-parte temporary and final orders
6. The total number of DVPOs where firearms were successfully relinquished to a law enforcement agency
7. The total number of DVPOs where no firearms were relinquished due to the respondent stating they don’t have any
8. The total number of DVPOs where the respondent pled their Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination
9. The total number of DVPOs where firearms were ordered to be relinquished but were not relinquished
10. The total number of firearms relinquished to law enforcement
11. The total number of firearms returned after the expiration of the order
12. The total number of firearms that were not returned after the expiration of the order because the respondent was prohibited from firearm possession

I greatly appreciate any help you can provide.

At a minimum, I am looking for the number of orders granted and how many required relinquishment of firearms, irrespective of whether you have or are able to share any of the other requested information.

If there is any information listed above that you do collect and can share, I will take whatever you are able to provide.

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,

Mackey O'Keefe

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/ Pursuant to RCW 42.56.520, this is notification that we are searching our records to determine the location, nature, and amount of records, if any, that may be responsive to your request.  If responsive records are found we estimate that we can make available an installment of records on or before 03/29/24.  If records are ready prior to that time, you will be notified.  If the time assessment requires adjustment, you will also be notified. Should you have any questions, please let us know. Sincerely, Rhonda Tucker, Public Records Manager

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Good Morning,
In your request you said in the past WSP was helpful in obtaining this information for you.  Do you have a report or document that we sent you in the past.  I will ask my Information Technology Division but I am not sure they have access to this information.  If you could provide me with a document from a previous request that would assist me in trying to find which division within WSP provided this information.  You can provide this information by accessing GovQA and uploading the document to the request submitted.
Respectfully,
Rhonda Tucker, Public Records Manager

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Good Evening,
Talking with my IT department this appears to be information you would need to get from the courts has WSP wouldn't have access to every DVPO.  As previously mentioned in my communications on 02/12/24 a report that we previously provided you would be helpful in knowing how we gathered this information.  If I do not receive a response by 03/08/24 I will consider this request abandoned and close it.
Respectfully,
Rhonda Tucker, Public Records Manager

--- Please respond above this line ---

Good Afternoon,
Unfortunately I am unable to click on the link provided due to our security policy.  If you could upload the actual documents that would be appreciated.  In speaking with employees around the agency, WSP would not have access to this information and seem to be more of a request for the courts as that is where these protection orders are issued.  If you can upload documents for our review I will let you know if this information came from WSP.
Respectfully,
Rhonda Tucker, Public Records Manager

--- Please respond above this line ---

Good Morning,
As previously mentioned we cannot access unsecured links due to IT security policies.  If you would like to attach the documents you are referring to in the link, please do so and we can verify if this is information we can provide.  If we do not receive a response from you on or before 03/15/24, we will consider this request abandoned and close it.
Respectfully,
Rhonda Tucker, Public Records Manager

--- Please respond above this line ---

Good Morning,
After talking with our IT department this morning after receiving your clarification,  we might be able to pull records for item #1 and they will work on doing so.  I will need to adjust your due date to 03/22/24 but if I can provide records before that date, I will do so. Please note this will not be a complete and true copy as we can only provide what has been submitted to WSP from other Law Enforcement Agencies or the courts.
Respectfully,
Rhonda Tucker, Public Records Manager

--- Please respond above this line ---

Good Evening,
We are still trying to determine the best way to search our system to get the records you are requesting.  I will need to extend your due date to 04/10/24 but if we complete the search prior to that date, I will release the records and you will be notified.
Respectfully,
Rhonda Tucker, Public Records Manager

--- Please respond above this line ---
RE: Public Records Request of February 11, 2024, Reference # R002274-021124 Dear Mackey O'Keefe, Thank you for your inquiry to the Washington State Patrol. We have received your public disclosure request for the following: “To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Washington Public Records Act, I hereby request the following records:

Records containing data on Domestic Violence Protection Orders, including the information listed below, in Washington from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2023, broken down by year and county, ideally at an individual case level.

Your department has very helpfully provided extreme risk protection order data in the past, and I am hoping you could help with this request as well.

1. The total number of Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO) petitions filed
2. The total number of DVPOs granted, broken down by ex-parte temporary and final orders
3. The total number of DVPOs denied, broken down by ex-parte temporary and final orders
4. The total number of DVPOs that prohibit respondents from possessing firearms, broken down by ex-parte temporary and final orders
5. The total number of DVPOs that require relinquishment of firearms, broken down by ex-parte temporary and final orders
6. The total number of DVPOs where firearms were successfully relinquished to a law enforcement agency
7. The total number of DVPOs where no firearms were relinquished due to the respondent stating they don’t have any
8. The total number of DVPOs where the respondent pled their Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination
9. The total number of DVPOs where firearms were ordered to be relinquished but were not relinquished
10. The total number of firearms relinquished to law enforcement
11. The total number of firearms returned after the expiration of the order
12. The total number of firearms that were not returned after the expiration of the order because the respondent was prohibited from firearm possession

I greatly appreciate any help you can provide.

At a minimum, I am looking for the number of orders granted and how many required relinquishment of firearms, irrespective of whether you have or are able to share any of the other requested information.

If there is any information listed above that you do collect and can share, I will take whatever you are able to provide.

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,

Mackey O'Keefe

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/ After extension research WSP does not have the information you are looking for.  I suggest going to the courts as that is the only place you will get the information you are looking for. The Washington State Patrol (WSP) has researched your public disclosure request and we did not locate any WSP public record that contains the information you have requested. RCW 42.56.010, RCW 42.56.080. Citizens for Fair Share, 117 Wn. App. at 435 (citing Smith v. Okanogan County, 100 Wn. App. 7, 13–44(2000)), Bonamy v. City of Seattle, 92 Wn. App. 403, 409 (1993), Sperr v. City of Spokane, 123 Wn. App. 132, 96 P.3d 1012 (2004), and Neighborhood Alliance of Spokane County v. County of Spokane, No. 84108-0 (Wash. Sept. 29, 2011). This response completes your request.  Should you have any questions, please let us know.
Sincerely, Rhonda Tucker, Public Records Manager