Wisconsin Police Data Collection (Racine Police Department)

Dear Mr. Sinyangwe,

This email is being sent to acknowledge receipt of the public records request (PR2021-194) that you recently submitted to the City of Racine.

Please be advised that the City is currently processing a large number of public records requests, and they are being processed in the order that they are received. Due to limited staff available to respond to these requests, we are not able to process the requests as quickly as many requesters would like. Your request will be processed as soon as practicable and without delay. We appreciate your patience.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact this office by replying to this email. Thank you.

City Attorney's Office

730 Washington Avenue

Room 201

Racine, Wisconsin 53403

(262) 636-9115

Fax: (262) 636-9570

publicrecords@cityofracine.org

PRIVILEGE AND CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE. This electronic transmission may contain work-product or information protected under the attorney-client privilege, both of which are protected from disclosure. This message is intended exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you are not the named addressee, you are not authorized to read, print, retain, copy, or disseminate this message or any part of it. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by e-mail or telephone at (262) 636-9115, and delete or destroy all copies of the message. APPLICABILITY OF WISCONSIN PUBLIC RECORDS LAW. The City of Racine is subject to the Wisconsin Public Records law. Unless otherwise exempted from the public records law, senders and receivers of City of Racine e-mail should presume that e-mail is subject to release upon request and is subject to state records retention requirements.

Dear Sir or Madam,

This email is being sent in response to your request for a status update on your public records request. The City of Racine is currently experiencing a high volume of public records requests, and the City is processing these requests as soon as practicable and without delay. Requests that ask for multiple records that are responsive to several sub-requests may take longer to process due to their complexity. The City appreciates your patience as your response is being prepared. Thank you.

CITY OF RACINE
City Attorney’s Office
730 Washington Avenue
Room 201
Racine, Wisconsin 53403
(262) 636-9115
Fax: (262) 636-9570

PRIVILEGE AND CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE. This electronic transmission may contain work-product or information protected under the attorney-client privilege, both of which are protected from disclosure. This message is intended exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you are not the named addressee, you are not authorized to read, print, retain, copy, or disseminate this message or any part of it. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by e-mail or telephone at (262) 636-9115, and delete or destroy all copies of the message. APPLICABILITY OF WISCONSIN PUBLIC RECORDS LAW. The City of Racine is subject to the Wisconsin Public Records law. Unless otherwise exempted from the public records law, senders and receivers of City of Racine e-mail should presume that e-mail is subject to release upon request and is subject to state records retention requirements.

Dear Sir or Madam,

This correspondence is being sent on behalf of the City of Racine (“City”) Police Department (“RPD”) in response to the attached public records request (PR2021-194), in which you asked for the following records:

1. the total number of use of force incidents reported by law enforcement, separated by year and by type of
force used from 2013-2020 (for example: 27 taser incidents in 2019,34 taser incidents in 2020, 6 baton
incidents in 2019, 3 baton incidents in 2020, etc.)
2. the total number of civilian complaints alleging any form of law enforcement misconduct that were
reported and the total number sustained from 2013-2020, separated by year (for example: 8 complaints in
2016, 2 complaints sustained in 2016, 4 complaints in 2017, 1 complaint sustained in 2017, etc.)
3. the total number of civilian complaints alleging law enforcement use of excessive force that were
reported and the total number sustained from 2013-2020, separated by year.
4. the total number of civilian complaints alleging biased policing or racial profiling that were reported and
the total number sustained from 2013-2020, separated by year.
5. the total number of civilian complaints alleging criminal conduct that were reported and the total
number sustained from 2013-2020, separated by year.
6. all information reported to the FBI's National Use-of-Force Data Collection program to date.
7. a list of all officer involved shootings that were directed at a person from 2013-2020 (excluding
shootings of animals and accidental discharges that are not directed at a person).

The RPD’s responses to each of your requests are enumerated below as follows:

1. Every use of force is documented by the Racine Police Department. Currently our only means of deciphering the type of force used is by opening and reading every single report that force was used. We have new software in the budget and as of January of 2022 will have a running number of use of force broken down into specific categories. Below is the number of documented use of forces Racine PD was involved in. We switched to a new system part way into 2015 so I do not have full data for that year or prior.

2016 272

2017 239

2018 225

2019 267

2020 203

2. Year total received total substantiated

2013 62 6

2014 54 2

2015 46 6

2016 49 5

2017 47 3

2018 34 5

2019 29 1

2020 17 2

3. 2013 7 0

2014 4 0

2015 8 0

2016 4 0

2017 4 0

2018 3 0

2019 3 0

2020 0 0

4. Due to how our agency classifies allegations, the only manner to determine which complaints were based on biased policing or racial profiling would be to review the hundreds of complaints since 2013 one by one.

5. Due to how our agency classifies allegations, the only manner to determine which complaints were based on biased policing or racial profiling would be to review the hundreds of complaints since 2013 one by one.

6. I am waiting on response from records employee. Will provide information as soon as I get a response.

7. Since 2013 the Racine PD has had six officer involved shootings resulting in two fatalities.

The additional response mentioned in number 6 above will be provided to you under separate cover as soon as it becomes available.

To the extent that your request has been denied, this determination is subject to review by mandamus under Wis. Stat. § 19.37(1), or upon application to the Attorney General or District Attorney. If you have any questions or you feel that this response is incomplete, please raise these concerns by responding to this email. Thank you.

CITY OF RACINE
City Attorney’s Office
730 Washington Avenue
Room 201
Racine, Wisconsin 53403
(262) 636-9115
Fax: (262) 636-9570

PRIVILEGE AND CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE. This electronic transmission may contain work-product or information protected under the attorney-client privilege, both of which are protected from disclosure. This message is intended exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you are not the named addressee, you are not authorized to read, print, retain, copy, or disseminate this message or any part of it. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by e-mail or telephone at (262) 636-9115, and delete or destroy all copies of the message. APPLICABILITY OF WISCONSIN PUBLIC RECORDS LAW. The City of Racine is subject to the Wisconsin Public Records law. Unless otherwise exempted from the public records law, senders and receivers of City of Racine e-mail should presume that e-mail is subject to release upon request and is subject to state records retention requirements.