Police data collection project (Washtenaw County Sheriff)

. Washtenaw County is in receipt of your emailed Freedom of Information Act request dated July 6, 2020, therefore received July 7, 2020 requesting the following:

1. the total number of use of force incidents, separated by year and by type of force used from 2016-2019 (for example, "27 taser incidents in 2016, 3 baton incidents in 2017, etc.)
2. the total number of civilian complaints alleging any form of law enforcement misconduct that were reported and the total number sustained, separated by year (for example, 8 complaints in 2016, 2 complaints sustained in 2017, 4 complaints in 2018, 1 complaint sustained in 2019, etc.)
3. the total number of civilian complaints alleging law enforcement use of excessive force that were reported and the total number sustained from 2016-2019, separated by year
4. the total number of civilian complaints alleging biased policing or racial profiling that were reported and the total number sustained from 2016-2019, separated by year
In accordance with MCL 15.235(2)(d), Washtenaw County is taking the ten (10) day extension on your request to provide adequate time to collect and respond. Your request will be responded to no later than July 28, 2020. Washtenaw County will prepare a good faith estimate to search for, retrieve, review, examine and separate exempt material, if any. This estimate will be of the lowest rate of the person qualified to do the work, plus fringe rates pursuant to the Michigan Freedom of Information Act. A deposit will be requested if the good faith estimate exceeds $50.
Sincerely

[image001.jpg@01D217F9.DDA30670]
Tammy Richards
Risk Management Analyst/FOIA Coordinator
Washtenaw County
220 N. Main Street, PO Box 8645
Ann Arbor, MI 48107-8645
www.washtenaw.org<http://www.washtenaw.org/>
[WC logo]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: requests@muckrock.com<mailto:requests@muckrock.com>
Date: 6 Jul 2020 10:13
Subject: Michigan Freedom of Information Act Request: Police data collection project (Washtenaw County Sheriff)
To: Myron Blackwell <blackwellm@washtenaw.org<mailto:blackwellm@washtenaw.org>>
Cc:
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.

Washtenaw County Sheriff
FOIA Office
2201 Hogback Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48105

July 6, 2020

To Whom It May Concern:

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

1. the total number of use of force incidents, separated by year and by type of force used from 2016-2019 (for example, "27 taser incidents in 2016, 3 baton incidents in 2017, etc.)
2. the total number of civilian complaints alleging any form of law enforcement misconduct that were reported and the total number sustained, separated by year (for example, 8 complaints in 2016, 2 complaints sustained in 2017, 4 complaints in 2018, 1 complaint sustained in 2019, etc.)
3. the total number of civilian complaints alleging law enforcement use of excessive force that were reported and the total number sustained from 2016-2019, separated by year
4. the total number of civilian complaints alleging biased policing or racial profiling that were reported and the total number sustained from 2016-2019, separated by year

Note that my requests for civilian complaints are specifically for civilian complaints alleging police misconduct, please do not include complaints filed by one officer/the department against another officer.

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,

Samuel Sinyangwe

Filed via MuckRock.com
E-mail (Preferred): requests@muckrock.com<mailto:requests@muckrock.com>
Upload documents directly: https://accounts.muckrock.com/accounts/login/?url_auth_token=AAAybUmjavR_IhAZoE2IhquJTmw%3A1jsRs9%3Ap1ov1Uvu42IfJBG66LXtCAV8bA0&next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.muckrock.com%2Faccounts%2Flogin%2F%3Fnext%3D%252Faccounts%252Fagency_login%252Fwashtenaw-county-sheriff-10756%252Fpolice-data-collection-project-washtenaw-county-sheriff-97848%252F%253Femail%253Dblackwellm%252540ewashtenaw.org<https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Faccounts.muckrock.com%2Faccounts%2Flogin%2F%3Furl_auth_token%3DAAAybUmjavR_IhAZoE2IhquJTmw%253A1jsRs9%253Ap1ov1Uvu42IfJBG66LXtCAV8bA0%26next%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.muckrock.com%252Faccounts%252Flogin%252F%253Fnext%253D%25252Faccounts%25252Fagency_login%25252Fwashtenaw-county-sheriff-10756%25252Fpolice-data-collection-project-washtenaw-county-sheriff-97848%25252F%25253Femail%25253Dblackwellm%25252540ewashtenaw.org&data=02%7C01%7Crichardt%40washtenaw.org%7Cafcacd7cff0d4ff84d9908d82270da3b%7C940f79927c85414e8cb10632dd3a5282%7C0%7C0%7C637297215374057515&sdata=xp%2FgSbZkuFlCIPLePK05daGD%2Fo8f1JcIamvWwCXy%2BBQ%3D&reserved=0>
Is this email coming to the wrong contact? Something else wrong? Use the above link to let us know.

For mailed responses, please address (see note):
MuckRock News
DEPT MR 97848
411A Highland Ave
Somerville, MA 02144-2516

PLEASE NOTE: This request is not filed by a MuckRock staff member, but is being sent through MuckRock by the above in order to better track, share, and manage public records requests. Also note that improperly addressed (i.e., with the requester's name rather than "MuckRock News" and the department number) requests might be returned as undeliverable.
[http://email.requests.muckrock.com/o/eJwNysEOgjAMANCvccel7diEww5i9DdMKZ0QNokDwu_rO78xeh-MFp7zax4jIhF6MlOU0HqlMWhyDePAypJc5xOLpI60M3MkIIArBGzQOWfRAjnwtx7uN3rQs-0vDVT9Hrrtmy2HLHWVxcpaTI1DZllOzbn8k568Tbt--LRrff8AIUAsxw]

Good Afternoon,

We are currently researching our current system and our prior system to determine if this information is readily available or can be pulled in a report format in the manner requested. To my knowledge this may not be possible, but we are having folks at the WCSO review this to determine what we are actually able to provide. Your request will be granted for any non-exempt information that exists in the format requested.

As you know we are not required to create a document in order to respond to a FOIA request, so we are trying to see if a report can be generated.

I will keep you posted. Thank you,

Judy Kramer
Risk Manager / Labor Relations Director
Washtenaw County Risk Management / Labor Relations
220 N. Main Street | P.O. Box 8645 | Ann Arbor, MI 48107-8645
734-222-6735 - desk | 734-222-6758 - fax | 734-260-7521 - cell
www.washtenaw.org<http://www.washtenaw.org>

Hello

I have received the reports and am in the process of reviewing information in the report to determine if any redactions are necessary. This response will be sent by the end of this week,

Get Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef>

Good Morning,

After spending a few hours on the review of the system, your request is being denied as the information does not exist and cannot be retracted from our system in order to respond in the format requested. The only way to obtain this information in the format requested is to create a document which we are not required to do under the Freedom of Information Act.

In accordance with the Act, I am providing you the links to Washtenaw County's written FOIA Policy and related information relative to the Freedom of Information Act. This information is available at https://www.washtenaw.org/1128/Freedom-of-Information-Act.

If you disagree with this decision, you may submit a written appeal specifically stating "appeal" and stating the reasons for appeal, to the County Administrator or seek judicial review under Section 10 of the Act within 180 days after the County's final determination. Within ten (10) days of receiving a request for an appeal, the County Administrator shall (a) reverse the denial; (b) issue a written notice upholding the denial; (c) reverse in part and uphold in part by written notice; or (d) issue a notice extending by ten (10) business days the time to decide the appeal.

If after judicial review, the Circuit Court determines that the County has not fully complied with the disclosure requirements, the Court shall award reasonable attorneys' fees, costs and disbursements. If the Court determines that the County has arbitrarily and capriciously violated the Act, it will also award punitive damages of $1,000.00.

A copy of this request will be kept on file for no less than one (1) year. If there are additional questions please let me know,

Judy Kramer
Risk Manager / Labor Relations Director
Washtenaw County Risk Management / Labor Relations
220 N. Main Street | P.O. Box 8645 | Ann Arbor, MI 48107-8645
734-222-6735 - desk | 734-222-6758 - fax | 734-260-7521 - cell
www.washtenaw.org<http://www.washtenaw.org>