Masked LEOs (West Virginia State Police)
It is a clone of this request.
| Multi Request | Masked LEOs |
| Submitted | Sept. 13, 2021 |
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Communications
From: Emma North-Best
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:
1. Policies, including implementation, termination and expiration notices, mentioning or discussing mask mandates or requirements for employees.
2. Reports regarding alleged violations of or non-compliance with mask mandates or requirements.
3. Records documenting any disciplinary actions taken regarding Item #2.
4. Emails, letters, memos and other written or memorialized discussions with unions or employee representatives regarding actual or proposed mask mandates or requirements (such as those requested in Item #1).
I am a member of the news media and request classification as such. I have previously written about the government and its activities, with some reaching over 100,000 readers in outlets such as Gizmodo, MuckRock, Motherboard, Property of the People, Unicorn Riot, and The Outline, among others. As such, as I have a reasonable expectation of publication and my editorial and writing skills are well established. In addition, I discuss and comment on the files online and make them available through non-profits such as the library Internet Archive and the journalist non-profit MuckRock, disseminating them to a large audience. While my research is not limited to this, a great deal of it, including this, focuses on the activities and attitudes of the government itself. As such, it is not necessary for me to demonstrate the relevance of this particular subject in advance.
As my primary purpose is to inform about government activities by reporting on it and making the raw data available, I request that fees be waived.
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,
Emma North-Best
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following West Virginia Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Sept. 13, 2021. 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: West Virginia State Police
Emma,
We are in receipt of your Freedom of Information Act request, please see the following information for your requests:
1. The West Virginia State Police does not have a policy regarding masks, however the department has followed the executive orders by Governor Jim Justice On July 6, 2020, Governor Jim Justice mandated face coverings indoors and interacting with the public. On May 14, 2021, Governor Jim Justice signed an executive order that the state no longer recommends that fully vaccinated people need to wear a mask. On June 21, 2021, Governor Jim Justice signed an executive order lifting indoor face covering, regardless of vaccination status.
On September 8, 2021, due to the rise of Covid-19 cases in the State of West Virginia, our department issued a mask mandate directing all employees, regardless of vaccination status, to wear a mask while on duty and during any contact with the public.
1. A search was conducted and the West Virginia State Police is not in possession of any of the documents you have requested.
2. A search was conducted and the West Virginia State Police is not in possession of any of the documents you have requested.
3. A search was conducted and the West Virginia State Police is not in possession of any of the documents you have requested.
Pursuant to West Virginia Code ยง29B-1-3, the responsibility of the custodian of records for the West Virginia State Police to produce the requested records or documents is at an end.
Sincerely,
Mendi Craddock
Paralegal
West Virginia State Police
725 Jefferson Road
South Charleston, WV 25309
Telephone: 304-746-2113
Fax: 304-746-2421
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