MPD Lateral Hires

This is an automated message from the DC Government FOIA system.
Dear Sam Stecklow,
Request Number 2024-FOIA-00523 has been assigned to the request you submitted.
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This is an automated message from the DC Government FOIA system. Dear Sam Stecklow, 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: 2024-FOIA-00523 Description: To Whom It May Concern:Pursuant to the DC Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:I request all documents sufficient to show the following information for all MPD officers who have been hired as lateral hires from other law enforcement agencies and/or who were previously employed with another law enforcement agency since Jan. 1, 2018.NameEmployee IDBadge/star numberDate of hire at MPDAll previous employing agenciesThis request is brought by Big Local News along with a collaboration of news organizations, including ABC News, KQED, MuckRock, the Invisible Institute, and other news organizations. Big Local News is a program of Stanford University’s Journalism and Democracy Initiative and helps journalists collect, process and analyze public data.We are seeking this information as a news media organization on a matter of public interest concerning the conduct of government. As such, we ask for a waiver of all fees, if allowed under state law. If fees are necessary to reimburse the agency for actual costs, we agree to pay up to $100. If costs exceed that amount, please let us know before fulfilling the request.Please send clarifications and questions via electronic communication at any time. Thank you very much for your time and attention to this request.Sam StecklowJournalistInvisible InstituteThe 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,Sam StecklowUpload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/ Regards,
DC Government FOIA Portal

Dear Mr. Stecklow, This e-mail is toacknowledge receipt of your FOIA request assigned: 2024-FOIA-00523 Yourassigned FOIA Specialist is: RobertEckert.
If you have any questions regarding your request, please contact yourassigned FOIA Specialist who is included in this e-mail.  Be advised, ouroffice operates on a hybrid onsite/remote work schedule.  Therefore, ifyou are unable to reach your specialist when calling our office, please makecontact via e-mail.  For ease of reference, we ask that you have your FOIARequest Number available when you contact our office. Once the requesteddocuments are received, please be advised of the following notations below: RESPONSE TIME Pu rsuant to D.C. Official Code §2-532(c),  there is a 15 business day statutory allotted time, subject tothe possibility of a ten (10) business day extension from the date of receiptto respond to a FOIA request. If your request is for Body Worn Camera (BWC) footage, there is a25 business day statutory allotted time, subject to the possibility of 15working-day extension from the date of receipt to respond to a Body Worn Camera (BWC) request. REQUEST FOR EXPEDITED SERVICE If you seek expedited service relating to your FOIA request,please be advised, there is no provision or authority under the District ofColumbia Freedom of Information Act laws, to provide expedited service. Therefore, your request will be processed under the provision of the 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

October 18, 2023

Sam Stecklow, Journalist

Invisible Institute

Via: MuckRock News, DEPT MR153444

263 Huntington Ave

Boston, Massachusetts 02115

requests@muckrock.com

RE: FOIA Request No.: 2023-FOIA-00523

Dear Mr. Stecklow:

This is in response to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for: ...all documents sufficient to show the following information for all MPD officers who have been hired as lateral hires from other law enforcement agencies and/or who were previously employed with another law enforcement agency since Jan. 1, 2018. Name Employee ID Badge/star number Date of hire at MPD All previous employing agencies".

Upon review, as the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) does not capture the "All previous employing agencies" of such employees in a readily searchable electronic database, such a request would require an inordinate amount of manual research to locate and collect the requested information among thousands of files and records, and would either require the creation of new records to compile and assemble such information, or the review and redaction of a large volume of otherwise nonresponsive material. As this request asks for an unreasonable volume of research , and associated processing that is not required under the FOIA, on behalf of the requester, we are not able to further process this request. That is, we are not able to perform a reasonable and adequate search for specific records. Therefore, this is not a "perfected" 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. I note, however, that a listing of District of Columbia (DC) employees (including MPD officers), salary, agency and job titles, and other data can be accessed at Public Employee Salary Information | DCHR<https://dchr.dc.gov/node/821352>).

Further, even if a reasonable and adequate search could be performed with either the creation of new records to compile and assemble such information, or the review and redaction of a large volume of otherwise nonresponsive material, the records you seek are subject to withholding pursuant to D.C. Official Code § 2-534 (a)(2), which covers information of a personal nature, the release of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. Such privacy information includes names/personal identifiers and other personal privacy information, including that which may lead to the identity of individuals, in combination with "previous employing agencies". Other FOIA exemptions may also apply.

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 Sam Stecklow, 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: 2024-FOIA-00523 Description: To Whom It May Concern:Pursuant to the DC Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:I request all documents sufficient to show the following information for all MPD officers who have been hired as lateral hires from other law enforcement agencies and/or who were previously employed with another law enforcement agency since Jan. 1, 2018.NameEmployee IDBadge/star numberDate of hire at MPDAll previous employing agenciesThis request is brought by Big Local News along with a collaboration of news organizations, including ABC News, KQED, MuckRock, the Invisible Institute, and other news organizations. Big Local News is a program of Stanford University’s Journalism and Democracy Initiative and helps journalists collect, process and analyze public data.We are seeking this information as a news media organization on a matter of public interest concerning the conduct of government. As such, we ask for a waiver of all fees, if allowed under state law. If fees are necessary to reimburse the agency for actual costs, we agree to pay up to $100. If costs exceed that amount, please let us know before fulfilling the request.Please send clarifications and questions via electronic communication at any time. Thank you very much for your time and attention to this request.Sam StecklowJournalistInvisible InstituteThe 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,Sam StecklowUpload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/ Regards,
DC Government FOIA Portal

This is an automated message from the DC Government FOIA system. Dear Sam Stecklow, 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: 2024-FOIA-00523 Description: To Whom It May Concern:Pursuant to the DC Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:I request all documents sufficient to show the following information for all MPD officers who have been hired as lateral hires from other law enforcement agencies and/or who were previously employed with another law enforcement agency since Jan. 1, 2018.NameEmployee IDBadge/star numberDate of hire at MPDAll previous employing agenciesThis request is brought by Big Local News along with a collaboration of news organizations, including ABC News, KQED, MuckRock, the Invisible Institute, and other news organizations. Big Local News is a program of Stanford University’s Journalism and Democracy Initiative and helps journalists collect, process and analyze public data.We are seeking this information as a news media organization on a matter of public interest concerning the conduct of government. As such, we ask for a waiver of all fees, if allowed under state law. If fees are necessary to reimburse the agency for actual costs, we agree to pay up to $100. If costs exceed that amount, please let us know before fulfilling the request.Please send clarifications and questions via electronic communication at any time. Thank you very much for your time and attention to this request.Sam StecklowJournalistInvisible InstituteThe 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,Sam StecklowUpload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/ Regards,
DC Government FOIA Portal

Dear Requester:

Please see theattached FOIA response and records.

Sincerely,

MPD FOIA Office.

This is an automated message from the DC Government FOIA system. Dear Sam Stecklow, 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: Documents Delivered Request ID: 2024-FOIA-00523 Description: To Whom It May Concern:Pursuant to the DC Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:I request all documents sufficient to show the following information for all MPD officers who have been hired as lateral hires from other law enforcement agencies and/or who were previously employed with another law enforcement agency since Jan. 1, 2018.NameEmployee IDBadge/star numberDate of hire at MPDAll previous employing agenciesThis request is brought by Big Local News along with a collaboration of news organizations, including ABC News, KQED, MuckRock, the Invisible Institute, and other news organizations. Big Local News is a program of Stanford University’s Journalism and Democracy Initiative and helps journalists collect, process and analyze public data.We are seeking this information as a news media organization on a matter of public interest concerning the conduct of government. As such, we ask for a waiver of all fees, if allowed under state law. If fees are necessary to reimburse the agency for actual costs, we agree to pay up to $100. If costs exceed that amount, please let us know before fulfilling the request.Please send clarifications and questions via electronic communication at any time. Thank you very much for your time and attention to this request.Sam StecklowJournalistInvisible InstituteThe 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,Sam StecklowUpload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/ Regards,
DC Government FOIA Portal

This is an automated message from the DC Government FOIA system. Dear Sam Stecklow, 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: 2024-FOIA-00523 Description: To Whom It May Concern:Pursuant to the DC Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:I request all documents sufficient to show the following information for all MPD officers who have been hired as lateral hires from other law enforcement agencies and/or who were previously employed with another law enforcement agency since Jan. 1, 2018.NameEmployee IDBadge/star numberDate of hire at MPDAll previous employing agenciesThis request is brought by Big Local News along with a collaboration of news organizations, including ABC News, KQED, MuckRock, the Invisible Institute, and other news organizations. Big Local News is a program of Stanford University’s Journalism and Democracy Initiative and helps journalists collect, process and analyze public data.We are seeking this information as a news media organization on a matter of public interest concerning the conduct of government. As such, we ask for a waiver of all fees, if allowed under state law. If fees are necessary to reimburse the agency for actual costs, we agree to pay up to $100. If costs exceed that amount, please let us know before fulfilling the request.Please send clarifications and questions via electronic communication at any time. Thank you very much for your time and attention to this request.Sam StecklowJournalistInvisible InstituteThe 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,Sam StecklowUpload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/ Regards,
DC Government FOIA Portal

This is an automated message from the DC Government FOIA system. Dear Sam Stecklow, 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: 2024-FOIA-00523 Description: To Whom It May Concern:Pursuant to the DC Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:I request all documents sufficient to show the following information for all MPD officers who have been hired as lateral hires from other law enforcement agencies and/or who were previously employed with another law enforcement agency since Jan. 1, 2018.NameEmployee IDBadge/star numberDate of hire at MPDAll previous employing agenciesThis request is brought by Big Local News along with a collaboration of news organizations, including ABC News, KQED, MuckRock, the Invisible Institute, and other news organizations. Big Local News is a program of Stanford University’s Journalism and Democracy Initiative and helps journalists collect, process and analyze public data.We are seeking this information as a news media organization on a matter of public interest concerning the conduct of government. As such, we ask for a waiver of all fees, if allowed under state law. If fees are necessary to reimburse the agency for actual costs, we agree to pay up to $100. If costs exceed that amount, please let us know before fulfilling the request.Please send clarifications and questions via electronic communication at any time. Thank you very much for your time and attention to this request.Sam StecklowJournalistInvisible InstituteThe 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,Sam StecklowUpload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/ Regards,
DC Government FOIA Portal