GPS tracking tag launcher acquisition and use (Snohomish County Sheriff's Office)

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Dear Requestor,
In accordance with the Public Records Act (PRA), Chapter 42.56.520 RCW, this email acknowledges receipt of your PRA request, submitted to and received by Snohomish County on July 13, 2021.

This request has been assigned tracking number K054437-071321.
Please use this number in any communications concerning this request.

Specifically you requested:

“To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Washington Public Records Act, I hereby request the following records:

1. Records regarding your agency's acquisition of StarChase or other "GPS canon" devices (vehicle-mounted or hand-held GPS tracking tag launchers), including but not limited to invoices, purchase orders, contracts, loan agreements, evaluation agreements, solicitation letters, correspondence with companies and public agencies that provide the devices, and similar documents.

2. All nondisclosure agreements with StarChase, any other corporation, or any state or federal agencies, regarding your agency's actual or potential possession or use of GPS tracking tag launchers or associated software such as AppTrac-365

3. Records regarding policies and guidelines governing use of GPS tracking tag launchers, including but not limited to 1) when, where, how, and against whom they devices may be used, 2) under what circumstances administrative warrant, judicial warrant, or other legal process must, should, or should not be obtained prior to, during, or following direct or indirect use of the devices, 4) under what circumstances the existence or use of the devices must, should, or should not be revealed to judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, criminal defendants, or the general public., and 5) parallel construction techniques for use in avoidance of disclosure of the initial method of discovery of information gained initially by use of GPS tracking tag launchers or associated software

4. Training materials for use of GPS tracking tag launchers or associated software, including but not limited to memos, guidelines, or slideshows mentioning the technology

5. Records regarding any communications or agreements with wireless service providers (i.e., mobile phone carriers) concerning use of GPS tracking tag launchers

6. Procedures for the keeping of statistics about your agency's use of GPS tracking tag launchers

7. Records reflecting the number of investigations in which GPS tracking tag launchers were used, the number of those investigations that resulted in prosecutions, and the number of those investigations that resulted in convictions

8. Records reflecting a list of all criminal cases, with docket numbers if available, in which law enforcement officers or other staff used or arranged for the use of one or more GPS tracking tag launchers as part of the underlying investigations

9. All applications submitted to state or federal courts for warrants, orders, or other other authorization for use of GPS tracking tag launchers, as well as any warrants, orders, authorizations, denials of warrants, denials of orders, denials of authorization, and returns of warrants associated with those applications

10. Records regarding the use of GPS tracking tag launchers in closed investigations

11. Date and docket number of any responsive records that are sealed

12. All associated metadata

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,

Phil Mocek

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

Date Range: -

Our procedure is to locate records, review them for exemptions, and then prepare them for your inspection and/or copying.

We reasonably believe that public records (if any) responsive to this request will be available on or before 8/24/2021. If public records become available in advance of this estimate we will contact you promptly. Conversely, if the County encounters a need to extend our estimate, we will contact you promptly with a revised estimated date.

If you have any questions please let us know.
Sincerely,
Alex Kong
Public Records Office
NOTICE: All emails, and attachments, sent to and from Snohomish County are public records and may be subject to disclosure pursuant to the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56)

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Dear Requestor,
This is an update to your public records request, tracking number K054437-071321.
After a search for records the County could not find records responsive to this request. Our IT department has informed us that the County does not have the software your request is referencing.
This request is now closed.
Sincerely,
Alex Kong
Alexander Kong
NOTICE: All emails, and attachments, sent to and from Snohomish County are public records and may be subject to disclosure pursuant to the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56)