Personnel and Disciplinary Record, Police Officer Gerald Benderoth
Submitted | July 27, 2020 |
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Communications
From: T. McElwee
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the New York Freedom of Information Law, I hereby request the following records:
The complete personnel record of the late Police Officer Gerard Benderoth, and all internal disciplinary records that identify Benderoth as a subject. For specificity and to rule out duplicates, the subject Benderoth birthdate was February 1, 1969. Benderoth was noted as a member of the town police force at the time of his death in 2017.
Please note, these records are no longer exempted from disclosure under Civil Rights Law 50-A (which has been repealed). They fall under the explicit purview of the Freedom of Information Law. Records that may be released include "the complaints, allegations, and charges against an employee; the name of the employee complained of or charged; the transcript of any disciplinary trial or hearing, including any exhibits introduced at such trial or hearing; the disposition of any disciplinary proceeding; and the final written opinion or memorandum supporting the disposition and discipline imposed including the agency's complete factual findings and its analysis of the conduct and appropriate discipline of the covered employee." Please see Chapter 96 of the 2020 Laws of New York State for reference.
Please note that Benderoth is deceased (see included 2017 Obituary). Under FOIL, the privacy interest to withholding records is now greatly diminished. The public interest in release is overwhelming, as Mr. Benderoth was a known subject of an FBI investigation into a quadruple homicide.
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,
T. McElwee
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Obituary20of20Gerard20K.20Benderoth20_20Funeral20Homes202620Cremation20Service.._.pdf
From:
Good afternoon, I am writing in regards to the 5 foil requests I
received from you today. All the request are ineligible. Please
resubmit legible copies.
--
Thank you and have a blessed day ♥
Raquel Ventura
Town Clerk
Town of Haverstraw
1 Rosman Road
Garnerville, N Y 10923
Tel: (845)942-3727
Fax: (845)429-4964
From: T. McElwee
Ms. Raquel Ventura, Town Clerk:
I received your emailed reply to my fax. The verbatim text of my FOIL Request is below.
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the New York Freedom of Information Law, I hereby request the following records:
The complete personnel record of the late Police Officer Gerard Benderoth, and all internal disciplinary records that identify Benderoth as a subject. For specificity and to rule out duplicates, the subject Benderoth birthdate was February 1, 1969. Benderoth was noted as a member of the town police force at the time of his death in 2017.
Please note, these records are no longer exempted from disclosure under Civil Rights Law 50-A (which has been repealed). They fall under the explicit purview of the Freedom of Information Law. Records that may be released include "the complaints, allegations, and charges against an employee; the name of the employee complained of or charged; the transcript of any disciplinary trial or hearing, including any exhibits introduced at such trial or hearing; the disposition of any disciplinary proceeding; and the final written opinion or memorandum supporting the disposition and discipline imposed including the agency's complete factual findings and its analysis of the conduct and appropriate discipline of the covered employee." Please see Chapter 96 of the 2020 Laws of New York State for reference.
Please note that Benderoth is deceased (see included 2017 Obituary). Under FOIL, the privacy interest to withholding records is now greatly diminished. The public interest in release is overwhelming, as Mr. Benderoth was a known subject of an FBI investigation into a quadruple homicide.
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,
T. McElwee
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following New York Freedom of Information Law request, copied below, and originally submitted on July 27, 2020. 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: Town Clerk, Town Of Haverstraw
---
Thank you and have a blessed day ♥
Raquel Ventura
Town Clerk
Town of Haverstraw
1 Rosman Road
Garnerville, N Y 10923
Tel: (845)942-3727
Fax: (845)429-4964
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following New York Freedom of Information Law request, copied below, and originally submitted on July 27, 2020. 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: Town Clerk, Town Of Haverstraw
Good morning, I send out a response letter on August 24, 2020. This is
the same letter I forward to you.
---
Thank you and have a blessed day ♥
Raquel Ventura
Town Clerk
Town of Haverstraw
1 Rosman Road
Garnerville, N Y 10923
Tel: (845)942-3727
Fax: (845)429-4964
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following New York Freedom of Information Law request, copied below, and originally submitted on July 27, 2020. 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: Town Clerk, Town Of Haverstraw
Good afternoon, I am resenting my response to your foil from September
08,2020.
---
Thank you and have a blessed day ♥
Raquel Ventura
Town Clerk
Town of Haverstraw
1 Rosman Road
Garnerville, N Y 10923
Tel: (845)942-3727
Fax: (845)429-4964
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following New York Freedom of Information Law request, copied below, and originally submitted on July 27, 2020. 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: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following New York Freedom of Information Law request, copied below, and originally submitted on July 27, 2020. 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: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following New York Freedom of Information Law request, copied below, and originally submitted on July 27, 2020. 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: Town Clerk, Town Of Haverstraw
Dear T. McElwee, please see attached letter in regards to your foil
request response.
--
Thank you and have a blessed day ♥
Raquel Ventura
Town Clerk
Town of Haverstraw
1 Rosman Road
Garnerville, N Y 10923
Tel: (845)942-3727
Fax: (845)429-4964
From: T. McElwee
To whom it may concern:
I am in receipt of an email response to my FOIL request (subj: late officer Gerard Benderoth). This was sent by Town Clerk Raquel Ventura and cc'd to Jaclyn G. Goldberg (who, upon information and belief, is counsel to the Town).
It is my intent to send a check for $46.25 for the quoted number of pages (185); however I would like to first request a clarification that the quoted number of pages are the ones to be produced and are does not include pages to be withheld.
I would also ask to whom I should make a check payable. I believe, if I am not mistaken, that I should make it out to the following:
Town Clerk, Town of Haverstraw
Suite 240,
1 Rosman Road
Garnerville, N Y 10923
If I am incorrect, please let me know as soon as possible.
Thank you,
T. McElwee
From: Town Clerk, Town Of Haverstraw
Good afternoon, In response to your email yes to the quote on the number
of pages and does not include pages to be with help and some pages
redaction. Please make check payable to Haverstraw Town Clerk.
---
Thank you and have a blessed day ♥
Raquel Ventura
Town Clerk
Town of Haverstraw
1 Rosman Road
Garnerville, N Y 10923
Tel: (845)942-3727
Fax: (845)429-4964
From: T. McElwee
To Whom It May Concern:
Please find enclosed a check for $46.25 to satisfy the fee associated with the attached public records request.
Thank you.
Haverstraw Town Clerk
FOIL Office
Suite 240
One Rosman Road
Garnerville, NY 10923
From: T. McElwee
Ms. Ventura, et al.:
This is a follow-up regarding my FOIL request for the disciplinary and personnel records of Gerard Benderoth.
To recap: on 11/13/2020, I received pagecount and price for the production of the requested records ($46.25 for 185 pages). Thereafter, on 11/24/2020, I authorized payment (through MuckRock) and had a check sent to the Town Clerk's office for the stated amount.
I ask that the Town Clerk's Office confirm that the check has been received. If it has, then I wish to ask for clarification on how the documents have been or will be produced (by US Postal Service, by email, or some other means etc.) and the current status of the production.
Thank you,
T. McElwee
From: Town Clerk, Town Of Haverstraw
A copy of documents responsive to the request.
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Responsive Documents
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following New York Freedom of Information Law request, copied below, and originally submitted on July 27, 2020. 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.
Files
pages
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07/27/2020
Obituary20of20Gerard20K.20Benderoth20_20Funeral20Homes202620Cremation20Service.._.pdf
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