I respectfully request copies of records concerning surveillance technologies acquired, maintained, accessed, operated, or used by your agency.
1. Surveillance Technology Contracts and Purchasing Records
I request all records relating to the acquisition, purchase, lease, licensing, subscription, maintenance, renewal, testing, evaluation, or use of surveillance technologies and related services, including, but not limited to, technologies or services provided by:
Flock Safety
Motorola Solutions
Vigilant Solutions
Axon Enterprise
Rekor Systems
Genetec
Verra Mobility
BriefCam
Milestone Systems
Palantir Technologies
Cellebrite
PenLink
Any other surveillance technology vendor or contractor
This request includes records concerning:
Automated license plate reader systems, including ALPR and LPR systems
Fixed, mobile, or portable surveillance cameras
Facial recognition systems
Real-time crime centers
Video analytics software
Artificial intelligence-assisted surveillance systems
Drone surveillance systems
Mobile camera trailers
Gunshot detection systems
Cell-site simulators, including Stingray devices and IMSI catchers
Social media monitoring systems
Biometric identification systems
Location-tracking technologies
Predictive policing or crime-analysis systems
Data aggregation, intelligence-sharing, and investigative platforms
Any other surveillance hardware, software, database, cloud service, or data-sharing platform
Responsive purchasing and contracting records include, but are not limited to:
Contracts
Purchase orders
Invoices
Statements of work
Amendments
Renewals
Subscription agreements
Licensing agreements
Maintenance agreements
Requests for proposals
Requests for qualifications
Requests for quotes
Bid solicitations and responses
Vendor proposals
Memoranda of understanding
Intergovernmental agreements
Grant applications and awards
Records identifying the source of funding
Records showing the total cost of acquisition, installation, licensing, operation, maintenance, and renewal
2. Policies, Procedures, and Regulations
I request all current and historical policies, regulations, procedures, rules, and written guidance governing the acquisition, operation, access, use, oversight, and maintenance of surveillance technologies.
This includes, but is not limited to:
Policies
Standard operating procedures
General orders
Administrative directives
Rules governing user access
Rules governing permissible searches and queries
Data-retention policies
Data-deletion policies
Data-sharing policies
Privacy policies
Civil-rights and civil-liberties guidance
Constitutional compliance guidance
Supervisory review requirements
Procedures for reporting suspected misuse
Procedures for investigating improper use
Written legal opinions or legal guidance concerning surveillance technology
User manuals and operational guidance
3. Audits, Monitoring, and Oversight
I request all records concerning the auditing, monitoring, inspection, review, or evaluation of surveillance technology use, including:
Internal audits
External audits
User audits
Access audits
Query audits
Compliance reviews
Policy reviews
Privacy impact assessments
Civil-rights or civil-liberties assessments
Annual or periodic reports
Inspector General reports
Risk assessments
Security assessments
Independent evaluations
Findings and recommendations
Corrective action plans
Records documenting whether recommended corrective actions were completed
Records identifying the employees, units, contractors, or outside agencies responsible for conducting audits or reviews
Audit schedules and records showing how frequently audits are conducted
4. Records Showing Use of Surveillance Technologies
I request records sufficient to show how the surveillance technologies were accessed and used, including:
User-access logs
Audit logs
Search logs
Query logs
System activity reports
Records showing the number of searches or queries performed
Records showing the reasons or purposes entered for searches
Records identifying the agency units authorized to access each system
Records identifying outside agencies authorized to access each system
Records showing data shared with outside agencies or private entities
Records showing the number of alerts, detections, matches, or investigative leads generated
Records showing the number of investigations, stops, citations, arrests, prosecutions, or other enforcement actions associated with information obtained through these systems
Records showing false alerts, incorrect matches, or inaccurate results
If individual logs contain information subject to a lawful exemption, I request redacted copies or aggregate records sufficient to show system usage.
5. Misuse, Complaints, and Disciplinary Records
I request records concerning alleged or confirmed misuse of surveillance technologies, including:
Complaints
Reports of policy violations
Unauthorized searches or access
Improper sharing or disclosure of information
Internal investigations
Supervisory reviews
Findings
Corrective actions
Employee discipline
Suspension or termination of user access
Referrals to outside agencies or prosecutors
Records concerning security incidents, unauthorized access, or data breaches
Personal information may be redacted where permitted by law. I request the release of all reasonably segregable, nonexempt information.
6. Training and User Authorization
I request records concerning the training and authorization of personnel who access or use surveillance technologies, including:
Training materials
Training presentations
Training videos
User certification requirements
Testing requirements
Attendance records
Rosters of authorized users
Records showing when access was granted, suspended, or revoked
Refresher-training requirements
Guidance concerning constitutional, privacy, civil-rights, and civil-liberties protections
7. Data Sharing and Outside Access
I request records concerning surveillance information shared with, received from, or accessed by other entities, including:
Federal agencies
State agencies
Local agencies
Law-enforcement agencies outside the jurisdiction
Fusion centers
Regional intelligence centers
Task forces
Prosecutors
Private companies
Contractors
Schools or educational institutions
Homeowners’ associations or private camera networks
Responsive records include:
Information-sharing agreements
Memoranda of understanding
Cross-jurisdictional access agreements
User-access agreements
Policies governing outside access
Lists of participating agencies
Records showing which agencies can search or receive the requesting agency’s data
Records showing which outside databases the requesting agency can search
8. Data Retention, Preservation, and Deletion
I request records identifying:
Data-retention periods
Automatic-deletion schedules
Backup practices
Archiving practices
Data-preservation procedures
Litigation-hold procedures
Procedures for requesting deletion
Records showing changes to retention periods
Records concerning the deletion, loss, preservation, or recovery of surveillance data
9. Authorization and Public Approval
I request records concerning the authorization or approval of surveillance technologies, including:
City Council, County Board, commission, or committee meeting minutes
Meeting agendas
Resolutions
Ordinances
Public notices
Public-hearing materials
Staff reports
Budget requests
Budget approvals
Legal memoranda
Privacy or surveillance impact reports
Presentations provided to elected officials
Records of votes or other approvals
Communications concerning whether public approval was required
10. Communications
I request communications concerning the acquisition, evaluation, implementation, operation, maintenance, auditing, renewal, or discontinuation of surveillance technologies.
This includes responsive:
Emails
Text messages
Memoranda
Letters
Attachments
Meeting notes
Calendar invitations
Internal messages
Communications with vendors, contractors, other agencies, elected officials, and members of the public
11. Time Period
Unless otherwise specified, this request covers records from January 1, 2010, through the date the agency completes its search for responsive records.
12. Electronic Format and Page Orientation
I request that responsive documents be provided electronically as searchable PDF files whenever available. For scanned records, I request optical character recognition so the text can be searched and copied rather than providing image-only scans.
I also request that every page be correctly rotated and presented upright for normal reading. Please provide pages that are legible, complete, uncropped, and maintained in their original order.
For spreadsheets, databases, logs, and other structured records, I request the original electronic format, such as CSV or Excel, whenever available. If the agency also provides a PDF version, I request that the native electronic file be included.
13. Redactions and Withheld Records
If any record or portion of a record is withheld or redacted, I request:
Identification of the specific legal exemption relied upon
An explanation of how the exemption applies
Release of all reasonably segregable, nonexempt portions
A description of each record withheld in full, including its date, author, recipient, subject matter, and the exemption asserted, unless disclosure of that information is itself lawfully exempt
14. Clarification and Rolling Production
If any portion of this request is unclear or considered overly broad, please contact me so I may clarify or appropriately narrow that portion.
I request records on a rolling basis as they become available rather than waiting until every responsive record has been reviewed.
This request should be interpreted broadly to include responsive records regardless of physical form, electronic format, storage location, or custodian. This includes records maintained by contractors or vendors on behalf of the agency.
Thank you for your attention to this request. I look forward to your response within the period provided by applicable law.
Niles Police Department