Mel King School - School-Based Arrests

Dear Avery Farmer
Thank you for your interest in public records of Boston Police Department. Your request has been received and is being processed. Your request was received in this office on 11/7/2024 9:56:50 PM and given the reference number B003226-110724 for tracking purposes.
If this is a media request, please contact the Office of Media Relations directly at 617.343.4520.
To Whom It May Concern:

This letter constitutes a request pursuant to the Public Records Act, M.G.L. c.66, §10, for public records in the custody of your police department. Under the Criminal Justice Reform Act, school districts and law enforcement agencies must “specify the manner and division of responsibility for collecting and reporting the school-based arrests, citations and court referrals of students to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education” (DESE). DESE began collecting data on school-related arrests in the 2018-19 school year. In the 2019-20 school year, DESE expanded that collection to include data on all referrals to law enforcement. DESE has defined these terms as follows, borrowing the same definitions used by the U.S. Department of Education since its 2009 Civil Rights Data Collection.
• A school-related arrest “[r]efers to an arrest of a student for any activity conducted on school grounds, during off campus school activities (including while taking school transportation), or due to a referral by any school official. All school-related arrests are considered referrals to law enforcement.”
• A referral to law enforcement “[i]s an action by which a student is reported to any law enforcement agency or official, including a school police unit, for an incident that occurs on school grounds, during school-related events, or while taking school transportation, regardless of whether official action is taken. Citations, tickets, court referrals, and school-related arrests are considered referrals to law enforcement.”

This request is for the calendar years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, up to and including the day the records are produced. The scope of the request is the Mel H. King Academy South End Academy, formerly known as the McKinley schools, including all records for the following schools:
• Elementary: 90 Warren Avenue, Boston, MA 02116.
• K-12 Academy: 90 Warren Avenue, Boston, MA 02116.
• Middle: 50 St. Mary’s Street, Boston, MA 02215.
• Prep: 97 Peterborough Street, Boston, MA 02115.
Throughout this request, “School” refers to all of the schools described above. “School-related arrest” refers to “an arrest of a student for any activity conducted on school grounds, during off campus school activities (including while taking school transportation), or due to a referral by any school official. All school-related arrests are considered referrals to law enforcement.”

For the School and time period described above, I request the following public records, as defined in G. L. c. 4, § 7 (twenty-sixth):
1. An extract of your records management system or database that includes each school-related arrest and each referral to law enforcement.
2. Specifically, I request a database extract including the following variables:
a. Date of arrest or referral to law enforcement
b. Time of arrest or referral to law enforcement
c. Charge (or charges) including the statute governing the alleged offense
d. Whether the individual(s) was arrested or referred to law enforcement
e. Sex of individual(s) arrested or referred to law enforcement
f. Age of individual(s) arrested or referred to law enforcement
g. Race of individual(s) arrested or referred to law enforcement
h. Ethnicity of individual(s) arrested or referred to law enforcement
i. Disability status of the individual(s) arrested or referred to law enforcement
j. Whether the individual arrested or referred to law enforcement is a student at the school.
k. Name of arresting officer, if applicable, and
l. Badge number of the arresting officer or the officer that referred the youth to law enforcement, as applicable.
3. If a database extract as described in bullets 1–2 is not possible, please provide any existing police reports on each school-related arrest and referral to law enforcement.
4. The total number and a brief description of 911 calls from the School that were received by your department.

As this request involves a matter of public interest and will not be used for any commercial purpose, we ask that all fees associated with this request be waived pursuant to 950 C.M.R. 32.07(2)(k). Moreover, for municipalities with a population of over 20,000, the first two hours of time spent searching for, compiling, segregating, redacting and reproducing a requested record may not be charged a fee. Finally, pursuant to 950 C.M.R. 32.07(2)(i), a records access officer shall assess no fee greater than the lowest hourly rate of a person capable of compiling, segregating, redacting and reproducing a requested record. In the event that a charge is incurred for this request which you will not waive, please so indicate and include an itemization of estimated good faith costs.

Please provide public records to a requestor in an electronic format unless the record is not available in an electronic format. M.G.L. c. 66, § 6A(d).

The Public Records Act requires that you comply with this request within ten (10) business days following receipt. If you believe that documents or data responsive to any request herein is not public record and thus not subject to disclosure, please set forth in writing the specific reasons for such assertion, including the specific exemption or exemptions that you believe apply. To the extent that you determine that records need to be redacted in order to be produced under any law protecting the privacy of named individuals, please do so rather than withholding them in their entirety.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 10 business days. If you have any questions about this request, or need additional time to respond, please contact me by phone at (617)-338-1050 or by email at averyfarmer@cfjj.org. Thank you in advance for your prompt response to this request.

Sincerely,
Avery Farmer
Citizens for Juvenile Justice

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/
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.
Director, Public Information
Boston Police Department

--- Please respond above this line ---
Reference No: B003226-110724 Dear Avery Farmer: The Boston Police Department (BPD) has received your request for public records.  This response applies only to records that exist and are in the custody of the BPD. See A Guide to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, p. 32, n.115.  It is expected that a custodian of records must use her superior knowledge of her records with respect to responses to public records requests.  950 CMR 32.04(5).  Specifically, you stated: To Whom It May Concern:

This letter constitutes a request pursuant to the Public Records Act, M.G.L. c.66, §10, for public records in the custody of your police department. Under the Criminal Justice Reform Act, school districts and law enforcement agencies must “specify the manner and division of responsibility for collecting and reporting the school-based arrests, citations and court referrals of students to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education” (DESE). DESE began collecting data on school-related arrests in the 2018-19 school year. In the 2019-20 school year, DESE expanded that collection to include data on all referrals to law enforcement. DESE has defined these terms as follows, borrowing the same definitions used by the U.S. Department of Education since its 2009 Civil Rights Data Collection.
• A school-related arrest “[r]efers to an arrest of a student for any activity conducted on school grounds, during off campus school activities (including while taking school transportation), or due to a referral by any school official. All school-related arrests are considered referrals to law enforcement.”
• A referral to law enforcement “[i]s an action by which a student is reported to any law enforcement agency or official, including a school police unit, for an incident that occurs on school grounds, during school-related events, or while taking school transportation, regardless of whether official action is taken. Citations, tickets, court referrals, and school-related arrests are considered referrals to law enforcement.”

This request is for the calendar years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, up to and including the day the records are produced. The scope of the request is the Mel H. King Academy South End Academy, formerly known as the McKinley schools, including all records for the following schools:
• Elementary: 90 Warren Avenue, Boston, MA 02116.
• K-12 Academy: 90 Warren Avenue, Boston, MA 02116.
• Middle: 50 St. Mary’s Street, Boston, MA 02215.
• Prep: 97 Peterborough Street, Boston, MA 02115.
Throughout this request, “School” refers to all of the schools described above. “School-related arrest” refers to “an arrest of a student for any activity conducted on school grounds, during off campus school activities (including while taking school transportation), or due to a referral by any school official. All school-related arrests are considered referrals to law enforcement.”

For the School and time period described above, I request the following public records, as defined in G. L. c. 4, § 7 (twenty-sixth):
1. An extract of your records management system or database that includes each school-related arrest and each referral to law enforcement.
2. Specifically, I request a database extract including the following variables:
a. Date of arrest or referral to law enforcement
b. Time of arrest or referral to law enforcement
c. Charge (or charges) including the statute governing the alleged offense
d. Whether the individual(s) was arrested or referred to law enforcement
e. Sex of individual(s) arrested or referred to law enforcement
f. Age of individual(s) arrested or referred to law enforcement
g. Race of individual(s) arrested or referred to law enforcement
h. Ethnicity of individual(s) arrested or referred to law enforcement
i. Disability status of the individual(s) arrested or referred to law enforcement
j. Whether the individual arrested or referred to law enforcement is a student at the school.
k. Name of arresting officer, if applicable, and
l. Badge number of the arresting officer or the officer that referred the youth to law enforcement, as applicable.
3. If a database extract as described in bullets 1–2 is not possible, please provide any existing police reports on each school-related arrest and referral to law enforcement.
4. The total number and a brief description of 911 calls from the School that were received by your department.

As this request involves a matter of public interest and will not be used for any commercial purpose, we ask that all fees associated with this request be waived pursuant to 950 C.M.R. 32.07(2)(k). Moreover, for municipalities with a population of over 20,000, the first two hours of time spent searching for, compiling, segregating, redacting and reproducing a requested record may not be charged a fee. Finally, pursuant to 950 C.M.R. 32.07(2)(i), a records access officer shall assess no fee greater than the lowest hourly rate of a person capable of compiling, segregating, redacting and reproducing a requested record. In the event that a charge is incurred for this request which you will not waive, please so indicate and include an itemization of estimated good faith costs.

Please provide public records to a requestor in an electronic format unless the record is not available in an electronic format. M.G.L. c. 66, § 6A(d).

The Public Records Act requires that you comply with this request within ten (10) business days following receipt. If you believe that documents or data responsive to any request herein is not public record and thus not subject to disclosure, please set forth in writing the specific reasons for such assertion, including the specific exemption or exemptions that you believe apply. To the extent that you determine that records need to be redacted in order to be produced under any law protecting the privacy of named individuals, please do so rather than withholding them in their entirety.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 10 business days. If you have any questions about this request, or need additional time to respond, please contact me by phone at (617)-338-1050 or by email at averyfarmer@cfjj.org. Thank you in advance for your prompt response to this request.

Sincerely,
Avery Farmer
Citizens for Juvenile Justice

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/ A response to a public records request must be provided within ten (10) business days from the business day a written request was received.  G. L. c. 66, § 10 (a); 950 CMR 32.06(2)(b).  The public records law permits a response time of up to twenty-five (25) business days from the business day a written request is received, so long as a detailed explanation is provided.  G. L. c. 66, § 10(b)(vi); 950 CMR 32.06(2)(i). Due to the nature of your request additional time is needed. As such, BPD will need up to, but no more than, fifteen (15) additional business days to review and process your request.

--- Please respond above this line ---

Avery
Could you please elaborate on what you mean by "referrals"?

--- Please respond above this line ---
RE: PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST B003226-110724 created 11/7/2024 9:56:50 PM Dear Avery Farmer, The Boston Police Department (Department) has received your request for public records.  This response applies only to records that exist and are in the custody of the City.  See A Guide to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, p. 32, n.115.  It is expected that a custodian of records must use her superior knowledge of her records with respect to responses to public records requests.  950 CMR 32.04(5).  Specifically, you requested: To Whom It May Concern:

This letter constitutes a request pursuant to the Public Records Act, M.G.L. c.66, §10, for public records in the custody of your police department. Under the Criminal Justice Reform Act, school districts and law enforcement agencies must “specify the manner and division of responsibility for collecting and reporting the school-based arrests, citations and court referrals of students to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education” (DESE). DESE began collecting data on school-related arrests in the 2018-19 school year. In the 2019-20 school year, DESE expanded that collection to include data on all referrals to law enforcement. DESE has defined these terms as follows, borrowing the same definitions used by the U.S. Department of Education since its 2009 Civil Rights Data Collection.
• A school-related arrest “[r]efers to an arrest of a student for any activity conducted on school grounds, during off campus school activities (including while taking school transportation), or due to a referral by any school official. All school-related arrests are considered referrals to law enforcement.”
• A referral to law enforcement “[i]s an action by which a student is reported to any law enforcement agency or official, including a school police unit, for an incident that occurs on school grounds, during school-related events, or while taking school transportation, regardless of whether official action is taken. Citations, tickets, court referrals, and school-related arrests are considered referrals to law enforcement.”

This request is for the calendar years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, up to and including the day the records are produced. The scope of the request is the Mel H. King Academy South End Academy, formerly known as the McKinley schools, including all records for the following schools:
• Elementary: 90 Warren Avenue, Boston, MA 02116.
• K-12 Academy: 90 Warren Avenue, Boston, MA 02116.
• Middle: 50 St. Mary’s Street, Boston, MA 02215.
• Prep: 97 Peterborough Street, Boston, MA 02115.
Throughout this request, “School” refers to all of the schools described above. “School-related arrest” refers to “an arrest of a student for any activity conducted on school grounds, during off campus school activities (including while taking school transportation), or due to a referral by any school official. All school-related arrests are considered referrals to law enforcement.”

For the School and time period described above, I request the following public records, as defined in G. L. c. 4, § 7 (twenty-sixth):
1. An extract of your records management system or database that includes each school-related arrest and each referral to law enforcement.
2. Specifically, I request a database extract including the following variables:
a. Date of arrest or referral to law enforcement
b. Time of arrest or referral to law enforcement
c. Charge (or charges) including the statute governing the alleged offense
d. Whether the individual(s) was arrested or referred to law enforcement
e. Sex of individual(s) arrested or referred to law enforcement
f. Age of individual(s) arrested or referred to law enforcement
g. Race of individual(s) arrested or referred to law enforcement
h. Ethnicity of individual(s) arrested or referred to law enforcement
i. Disability status of the individual(s) arrested or referred to law enforcement
j. Whether the individual arrested or referred to law enforcement is a student at the school.
k. Name of arresting officer, if applicable, and
l. Badge number of the arresting officer or the officer that referred the youth to law enforcement, as applicable.
3. If a database extract as described in bullets 1–2 is not possible, please provide any existing police reports on each school-related arrest and referral to law enforcement.
4. The total number and a brief description of 911 calls from the School that were received by your department.

As this request involves a matter of public interest and will not be used for any commercial purpose, we ask that all fees associated with this request be waived pursuant to 950 C.M.R. 32.07(2)(k). Moreover, for municipalities with a population of over 20,000, the first two hours of time spent searching for, compiling, segregating, redacting and reproducing a requested record may not be charged a fee. Finally, pursuant to 950 C.M.R. 32.07(2)(i), a records access officer shall assess no fee greater than the lowest hourly rate of a person capable of compiling, segregating, redacting and reproducing a requested record. In the event that a charge is incurred for this request which you will not waive, please so indicate and include an itemization of estimated good faith costs.

Please provide public records to a requestor in an electronic format unless the record is not available in an electronic format. M.G.L. c. 66, § 6A(d).

The Public Records Act requires that you comply with this request within ten (10) business days following receipt. If you believe that documents or data responsive to any request herein is not public record and thus not subject to disclosure, please set forth in writing the specific reasons for such assertion, including the specific exemption or exemptions that you believe apply. To the extent that you determine that records need to be redacted in order to be produced under any law protecting the privacy of named individuals, please do so rather than withholding them in their entirety.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 10 business days. If you have any questions about this request, or need additional time to respond, please contact me by phone at (617)-338-1050 or by email at averyfarmer@cfjj.org. Thank you in advance for your prompt response to this request.

Sincerely,
Avery Farmer
Citizens for Juvenile Justice

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/ We have reviewed our files and have located records that correspond to your request. These records have been released to the Public Records Center . You may appeal this response to the Supervisor of Records in the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth. G. L. c. 66, § 10A (c); G. L. c. 66, § 10(b)(ix); 950 CMR 32.08; 950 CMR 32.08(1)(h) (in petitioning the Supervisor, the requester shall provide a copy of such petition to the records access officer associated with such petition).  You may also appeal to the Superior Court.  950 CMR 32.06(3)(c). Thank you.