Westminster, CO PD Citizen Compliants
| Submitted | Aug. 23, 2017 |
| Est. Completion | None |
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Communications
From: Alexander Cartwright and Jennifer Dirmeyer
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Colorado Open Records Act, I hereby request the following records:
We are Economics Professors in the College of Business at Ferris State University, and are engaged in an empirical research project on police behavior and citizen complaints. This project requires us to request data from your department. If you have questions about this request or suggestions, we would be happy to discuss them with you.
1. What is the total number of citizen complaints (allegations of misconduct) made against your department’s officers annually for the last 10 years? If your department logs complaints in a database, spreadsheet, or other log, a copy of those logs is fine instead.
Please include the type of complaint (i.e., use of force, abuse language, unwarranted search) and the result of complaint (i.e., sustained, exonerated).
2. What is the total number of complaints police officers made against their peer officers (sometimes called internal complaints) in department annually for the last 10 years? If your department logs complaints in a database, spreadsheet, or other log, a copy of those logs is fine instead.
Please include the type of complaint (i.e., use of force, abuse language, unwarranted search) and the result of complaint (i.e., sustained, exonerated).
3. How many officer-involved-shootings were there per year for the last 10 years in your department? Any documentation or reports that detail the annual number of officer-involved shootings in your department for the past 10 years would be sufficient.
Please include documentation regarding how many of these officer-involved shootings involved disciplinary action. (Please list officer firearm discharge directed at a person separately from a shooting involving an animal and separately from accidental firearm discharges).
Please include the number of officer-involved shootings resulting in discipline.
4. Which of the above data are published publicly? Please provide a link to any and all publicly available reports containing the data above.
Collecting this information is very important to our research, so we would like to emphasize, if you have questions about my request or suggestions, we would be happy to discuss them with you.
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 3 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Alexander Cartwright and Jennifer Dirmeyer
From: Kyle, Rhoda
Alexander Cartwright and Jennifer Dirmeyer:
We are in receipt of your below records request dated August 23,2017. Please note the records the City has pertaining to the requested data is a criminal justice record subject to the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act (C.R.S. 24-72-301).
Pursuant to C.R.S. 24-72- 306 we charge a fee for such requests. A copy of our fee schedule is attached to this letter. You will need to provide a down payment of $90.00 for 2 hours of service. Should the amount be greater than $90.00 you will be billed the difference. If the total amount is less, you will be refunded the difference.
Attached is a copy of the Records Search Request form that must be filled out with your CJRA.
No work will be started on your CJRA request until we receive a down payment of $90.00. The acceptable methods of payment are cash, Visa/Mastercard, money order, or certified check. Please let me know how if you would like to proceed with your request.
Thank you,
Rhoda Kyle – Police Records Supervisor
Westminster Police Department
9110 Yates St.
Westminster, CO 80031
303-658-4392
fax 303-706-3908
rkyle@cityofwestminster.us<mailto:rkyle@cityofwestminster.us>
From: Alexander Cartwright and Jennifer Dirmeyer
Hello,
Thank you for the response. Could you please provide an estimate for the total amount of fees required to complete this request?
Respectfully,
Alex Cartwright
From: Kyle, Rhoda
Hello Alex,
Due to the large scope of your request I am unable to provide you with an estimate for the total amount. The criminal justice records you are requesting would require in depth searching and retrieving of the data from our agency. I am asking for a $90.00 deposit to be placed before the searching of the records would be started.
Thank you,
Rhoda Kyle – Police Records Supervisor
Westminster Police Department
9110 Yates St.
Westminster, CO 80031
303-658-4392
fax 303-706-3908
rkyle@cityofwestminster.us<mailto:rkyle@cityofwestminster.us>
From: Alexander Cartwright and Jennifer Dirmeyer
Hello,
I am sending a check for $90.
From: Kyle, Rhoda
Sounds good. Please make the check out to "The City of Westminster" and send to the following address.
Westminster Police Department
Attn: Rhoda Kyle - Records
9110 Yates St
Westminster, CO 80031
From: Kyle, Rhoda
Hello Alex,
I wanted to confirm with you regarding the location for your below request. I work for the Westminster Police Department in Westminster, Colorado. I noticed your below address is in Massachusetts. Were you meaning to send your below request to Westminster, Massachusetts? I was just double checking to make sure you were requesting your data from the right agency in the correct state.
Thank you,
Rhoda Kyle – Police Records Supervisor
Westminster Police Department
9110 Yates St.
Westminster, CO 80031
303-658-4392
fax 303-706-3908
rkyle@cityofwestminster.us<mailto:rkyle@cityofwestminster.us>
From: MuckRock
Hello Ms. Kyle,
Thanks so much for your concern! This is request is actually a part of a nationwide project, so we do, indeed, hope to get data from your department. I'll be placing the check in the mail today.
Thanks so much for your help!
Beryl, MuckRock
From: MuckRock.com
To Whom It May Concern:
Please find enclosed a check for $90.00 to satisfy the fee associated with the attached public records request.
Thank you.
From: MuckRock.com
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on Aug. 23, 2017. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Kyle, Rhoda
Alexander Cartwright and Jennifer Dirmeyer:
I received your down payment for $90.00 on Wednesday, September 27, 2017 to begin the process of gathering data for your below criminal justice records request. My response is as follows to your listed below questions in blue font. The total amount of service for your request was 1 hour for the search/retrieval/redacting fee which totaled $30.00. A refund has been requested for the remaining $60.00 with our City finance department. A refund check will be issued back to you in the amount of $60.00 from the Westminster Finance department and mailed directly to you. I have attached a copy of the invoice letter of the refund for your file.
1. What is the total number of citizen complaints (allegations of misconduct) made against your department’s officers annually for the last 10 years? If your department logs complaints in a database, spreadsheet, or other log, a copy of those logs is fine instead.
Please include the type of complaint (i.e., use of force, abuse language, unwarranted search) and the result of complaint (i.e., sustained, exonerated).
We do not have a document response to your request.
Attached are copies of the Westminster Police Department policies regarding citizen complaints, personnel investigations and the complaint review team.
2. What is the total number of complaints police officers made against their peer officers (sometimes called internal complaints) in department annually for the last 10 years? If your department logs complaints in a database, spreadsheet, or other log, a copy of those logs is fine instead.
Please include the type of complaint (i.e., use of force, abuse language, unwarranted search) and the result of complaint (i.e., sustained, exonerated).
We do not have a document response to your request.
3. How many officer-involved-shootings were there per year for the last 10 years in your department? Any documentation or reports that detail the annual number of officer-involved shootings in your department for the past 10 years would be sufficient.
I have provided you with the number of officer involved shootings that occurred in Westminster for the past 10 years. Those numbers are as follows.
2007 0
2008 0
2009 1
2010 3
2011 1
2012 0
2013 1
2014 1
2015 0
2016 1
2017 2
Please include documentation regarding how many of these officer-involved shootings involved disciplinary action. (Please list officer firearm discharge directed at a person separately from a shooting involving an animal and separately from accidental firearm discharges).
Please include the number of officer-involved shootings resulting in discipline.
The Internal Affairs logs are not releasable.
4. Which of the above data are published publicly? Please provide a link to any and all publicly available reports containing the data above.
Collecting this information is very important to our research, so we would like to emphasize, if you have questions about my request or suggestions, we would be happy to discuss them with you.
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
Westminster Police Department resides in 2 counties: Adams County and Jefferson County. I have included the links to the district attorney’s website for you to review the decision letters of the officer involved shootings.
Adams County District Attorney, 17th Judicial District
http://adamsbroomfieldda.org/?page_id=613
Jefferson County District Attorney, 1st Judicial District
http://jeffco.us/search/?searchterm=officer%20involved%20shooting%20decision%20letters
Rhoda Kyle – Police Records Manager
Westminster Police Department
9110 Yates St.
Westminster, CO 80031
303-658-4392
fax 303-706-3908
rkyle@cityofwestminster.us<mailto:rkyle@cityofwestminster.us>
From: Alexander Cartwright and Jennifer Dirmeyer
Hello,
I still have not received the $60 refund. Could you please verify that the check was sent out? If so, was it cashed?
Thank you.
Alex Cartwright
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Colorado Open Records Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Aug. 23, 2017. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: City of Westminster Police
Hello Alex,
Thank you for your email. The paperwork for request of refund was submitted to our city finance department and was processed on 10/16/2017. The check was dated 10/17/2017, CK# 180107, paid to Muck Rock Foundation. The check was mailed on 10/17/2017 to Muck Rock Foundation, 411A Highland Ave., Somerville, MA 02144-2516., Attn: Alexander Cartwright and Jennifer Dirmeyer. The check was cashed on 10/31/2017. I have attached a copy of the endorsed and cleared check.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Thank you,
Rhoda Kyle – Support Services Administrator
Westminster Police Department
9110 Yates St.
Westminster, CO 80031
303-658-4392
fax 303-706-3908
rkyle@cityofwestminster.us<mailto:rkyle@cityofwestminster.us>
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