Flock Exposed - Public Records Request Template
Before You Begin, Please Read This
If you have never done this before, take a breath. You do not need a lawyer. You do not need permission from anyone. You do not need to give a reason for wanting the records.
Every state has a public records law, and it gives any ordinary member of the public the right to ask a government agency for its records. Filing a request is not a lawsuit, not a complaint, and not an accusation against anybody. Clerks receive these routinely. It is part of their job.
What this document does for you: it asks your town, city, county, or police department to hand over everything it has about the surveillance equipment it bought and operates. What it cost. Who approved it. Who can search it. How long the data is kept, and who else gets to see it. Those are facts about your own community that you are entitled to know, and most people never find out simply because nobody asks.
You do not have to stand up at a meeting or argue with anyone to send this. You fill in the blanks, sign it, and deliver it. Be polite, be specific, and keep a copy of everything.
One more thing. Delete this preamble before you send it. Everything from the top of this page through the end of the How To Use This Template section is guidance written for you, not part of the request. Remove all of it, along with any bracketed notes, so the document you hand to your clerk is clean and begins with the date and ends with the acknowledgment block.
How To Use This Template
Fill in every item shown in brackets with your own information, then delete the brackets. Send the completed request to the records officer or clerk for the agency you are asking. Keep a copy of what you sent and the date you sent it.
Every state has its own public records law, and the deadlines and fee rules differ. Look up your own state's law and insert its name where indicated. If you do not know your agency's records officer, address the request to the clerk.
The FOIA Request
[Date]
[Name of Records Officer or Clerk]
[Name of Agency, Town, City, County, or Police Department]
[Street Address]
[City, State, ZIP]
Re: Public Records Request - Surveillance and Automated License Plate Reader Systems
Dear [Records Officer or Clerk]:
Under [Name of Your State] public records law, I request copies of the following records in the possession, custody, or control of [Name of Agency], covering the period from [Start Date] to the date this request is processed.
1. All contracts, agreements, purchase orders, quotes, proposals, renewals, amendments, and addenda for any surveillance equipment or system, including but not limited to automated license plate reader cameras, fixed or mobile cameras, video surveillance, gunshot detection, drones, facial recognition, cell site simulators, and any related software, data storage, or analytics services.
2. All invoices, bills, receipts, payment records, budget line items, grant applications, grant awards, and any other records reflecting money spent, obligated, or received for the equipment or services described above, including any funds from another agency, a private donor, or a nonprofit.
3. All policies, procedures, general orders, standard operating procedures, training materials, user manuals, and written guidance governing the use of the equipment described above, including who may access the system, for what purposes, and what is prohibited.
4. All records describing how long data collected by the equipment described above is retained, where it is stored, who owns it, and under what circumstances it is deleted.
5. All records of data sharing with any other agency, department, state, federal entity, private company, or third party, including lists of agencies with access, sharing agreements, memoranda of understanding, and any national or regional network the system participates in.
6. All audit logs, search logs, or usage reports showing the number of searches run on the system, the reason given for each search, and the identity or badge number of the user, with any information you believe is exempt redacted rather than withheld in full.
7. All records of audits, misuse investigations, complaints, disciplinary actions, or internal reviews concerning use of the equipment described above.
8. All records showing the number, type, and physical location of each device installed, including maps, site lists, installation records, and permits.
9. All communications, including emails, letters, text messages, and meeting materials, between [Name of Agency] and any vendor, sales representative, or reseller of the equipment described above.
10. All meeting agendas, minutes, staff reports, presentations, and recordings in which the equipment described above was discussed, approved, funded, or renewed.
11. All records of any statistics, performance claims, crime reduction figures, or effectiveness reports relied upon to justify the purchase or renewal of the equipment described above.
Please provide these records in electronic format, by email to [Your Email Address], if they exist in electronic form. If any record is withheld in whole or in part, please identify the record and cite the specific exemption you are relying on, and release all reasonably segregable portions of it.
If you anticipate fees, please notify me before any costs are incurred so I may narrow the request or approve the charges. If a fee waiver is available under [Name of Your State] law because this request is in the public interest and not for commercial purposes, I request one.
If you believe any part of this request is unclear or overly broad, please contact me so we can discuss narrowing it rather than denying it.
Thank you for your assistance.
Sincerely,
_______________________________
[Your Signature]
[Your Printed Name]
[Your Street Address]
[Your City, State, ZIP]
[Your Phone Number]
[Your Email Address]
Acknowledgment Of Receipt
To be completed by the receiving agency. Requester and agency each retain a copy.
Received by: _______________________________
Printed Name and Title: _______________________________
Date and Time Received: _______________________________