Unmarked Vehicle Data, Policies, Reporting, Use (Boston Police Department)

Dear Beryl Lipton
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 8/18/2020 5:33:15 AM and given the reference number B001245-081820 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:

Pursuant to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, I hereby request the following records:

Materials regarding the use and reporting of use of unmarked vehicles by representatives and employees of this agency:

POLICY
All policies, statutes, and guidance used to govern the use of unmarked vehicles or any other vehicle used or in the possession of this agency that is not clearly and obviously marked as a law enforcement vehicle.

Please include all policies regarding access to such vehicles, use of the vehicles, internal reporting requirements when such vehicles are used, and external reporting requirements.

FORMS and GUIDANCE
A blank version of all forms and logs used by this agency in relation unmarked vehicles, including all those used to track use, damage, and the inventory of vehicles.

DATA
All available data, reports, audits, and other aggregated information regarding this agency’s inventory and use of unmarked vehicles for the period from January 1, 2015 through July 31, 2020.

OTHER
In the initial acknowledgement letter from your agency, if you could please include an indication of whether your agency does use unmarked vehicles in some form, that would be appreciated.

For reference, here are examples of the kinds of materials that would be responsive to this request:
• Pennsylvania state statute (http://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pabull?file=/secure/pabulletin/data/vol35/35-2/55.html);
• opinion of the Wisconsin Attorney General (https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/oag/archival/_293/_1/_16);
• Orlando Police Department policy (https://www.orlando.gov/files/sharedassets/public/documents/opd/policies-and-procedures/police-operations/1132.3-response-to-calls-traffic-stops-by-unmarked-police-vehicles.pdf);
• Howard County, Maryland Internal Audit Report of Police Take-Home Vehicle Program Audit - May 2018 (https://cc.howardcountymd.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=xwqgv-M7q9g%3D&tabid=132&portalid=0)
• Minneapolis’s Daily Activity Report (MP-3006) and Equipment Work Order Log (MP-5400)

If any portion of materials responsive to this request should be deemed unavailable or non-disclosable, please specifically identify the portions of the records or the specific information that is unavailable and the reason for the unavailability.

If any portion of this request is unclear or if this request could be modified to reduce the burden of producing responsive documents or provide them more efficiently or expeditiously, please reply with a request for clarification or a proposed modification.

This request is being made by a reporter as part of a journalistic investigation. It is being submitted to your agency at the request of a member of your community as part of a project to better understand policing agencies nationwide.

In the event that there are fees appropriately assessed in association with this request, 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 10 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Beryl Lipton

Upload documents directly: https://https://www.muckrock.comhttps://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 ---




City of Boston
Shawn A. Williams, Esq.
Director of Public Records 10/15/2021 RE: PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST of August 18, 2020., Reference # B001245-081820 Dear Beryl : The City of Boston (City) 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 stated:
To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, I hereby request the following records:

Materials regarding the use and reporting of use of unmarked vehicles by representatives and employees of this agency:

POLICY
All policies, statutes, and guidance used to govern the use of unmarked vehicles or any other vehicle used or in the possession of this agency that is not clearly and obviously marked as a law enforcement vehicle.

Please include all policies regarding access to such vehicles, use of the vehicles, internal reporting requirements when such vehicles are used, and external reporting requirements.

FORMS and GUIDANCE
A blank version of all forms and logs used by this agency in relation unmarked vehicles, including all those used to track use, damage, and the inventory of vehicles.

DATA
All available data, reports, audits, and other aggregated information regarding this agency’s inventory and use of unmarked vehicles for the period from January 1, 2015 through July 31, 2020.

OTHER
In the initial acknowledgement letter from your agency, if you could please include an indication of whether your agency does use unmarked vehicles in some form, that would be appreciated.

For reference, here are examples of the kinds of materials that would be responsive to this request:
• Pennsylvania state statute (http://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pabull?file=/secure/pabulletin/data/vol35/35-2/55.html);
• opinion of the Wisconsin Attorney General (https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/oag/archival/_293/_1/_16);
• Orlando Police Department policy (https://www.orlando.gov/files/sharedassets/public/documents/opd/policies-and-procedures/police-operations/1132.3-response-to-calls-traffic-stops-by-unmarked-police-vehicles.pdf);
• Howard County, Maryland Internal Audit Report of Police Take-Home Vehicle Program Audit - May 2018 (https://cc.howardcountymd.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=xwqgv-M7q9g%3D&tabid=132&portalid=0)
• Minneapolis’s Daily Activity Report (MP-3006) and Equipment Work Order Log (MP-5400)

If any portion of materials responsive to this request should be deemed unavailable or non-disclosable, please specifically identify the portions of the records or the specific information that is unavailable and the reason for the unavailability.

If any portion of this request is unclear or if this request could be modified to reduce the burden of producing responsive documents or provide them more efficiently or expeditiously, please reply with a request for clarification or a proposed modification.

This request is being made by a reporter as part of a journalistic investigation. It is being submitted to your agency at the request of a member of your community as part of a project to better understand policing agencies nationwide.

In the event that there are fees appropriately assessed in association with this request, 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 10 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Beryl Lipton

Upload documents directly: https://https://www.muckrock.comhttps://www.muckrock.com/ I have again alerted a representative from the Boston Police Department on this correspondence in an effort to obtain an update on the status of your August 18, 2020 public records request.  I will provide an update to you once additional information is provided to me by the department. Very truly yours, Shawn A. Williams, Esq. Director of Public Records Records Access Officer

--- Please respond above this line ---




City of Boston
Shawn A. Williams, Esq.
Director of Public Records 11/03/2021 RE: PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST of August 18, 2020., Reference # B001245-081820 Dear Beryl : The City of Boston (City) 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 stated:
To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, I hereby request the following records:

Materials regarding the use and reporting of use of unmarked vehicles by representatives and employees of this agency:

POLICY
All policies, statutes, and guidance used to govern the use of unmarked vehicles or any other vehicle used or in the possession of this agency that is not clearly and obviously marked as a law enforcement vehicle.

Please include all policies regarding access to such vehicles, use of the vehicles, internal reporting requirements when such vehicles are used, and external reporting requirements.

FORMS and GUIDANCE
A blank version of all forms and logs used by this agency in relation unmarked vehicles, including all those used to track use, damage, and the inventory of vehicles.

DATA
All available data, reports, audits, and other aggregated information regarding this agency’s inventory and use of unmarked vehicles for the period from January 1, 2015 through July 31, 2020.

OTHER
In the initial acknowledgement letter from your agency, if you could please include an indication of whether your agency does use unmarked vehicles in some form, that would be appreciated.

For reference, here are examples of the kinds of materials that would be responsive to this request:
• Pennsylvania state statute (http://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pabull?file=/secure/pabulletin/data/vol35/35-2/55.html);
• opinion of the Wisconsin Attorney General (https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/oag/archival/_293/_1/_16);
• Orlando Police Department policy (https://www.orlando.gov/files/sharedassets/public/documents/opd/policies-and-procedures/police-operations/1132.3-response-to-calls-traffic-stops-by-unmarked-police-vehicles.pdf);
• Howard County, Maryland Internal Audit Report of Police Take-Home Vehicle Program Audit - May 2018 (https://cc.howardcountymd.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=xwqgv-M7q9g%3D&tabid=132&portalid=0)
• Minneapolis’s Daily Activity Report (MP-3006) and Equipment Work Order Log (MP-5400)

If any portion of materials responsive to this request should be deemed unavailable or non-disclosable, please specifically identify the portions of the records or the specific information that is unavailable and the reason for the unavailability.

If any portion of this request is unclear or if this request could be modified to reduce the burden of producing responsive documents or provide them more efficiently or expeditiously, please reply with a request for clarification or a proposed modification.

This request is being made by a reporter as part of a journalistic investigation. It is being submitted to your agency at the request of a member of your community as part of a project to better understand policing agencies nationwide.

In the event that there are fees appropriately assessed in association with this request, 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 10 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Beryl Lipton

Upload documents directly: https://https://www.muckrock.comhttps://www.muckrock.com/ The records responsive to this request have been released to Public Records Center.  Click the link below to login to the Records Center. Police Records Request - B001245-081820 Very truly yours, Shawn A. Williams, Esq. Director of Public Records Records Access Officer