Police data collection project (El Paso County Sheriff)
| Multi Request | Police data collection project |
| Submitted | July 5, 2020 |
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Communications
From: Samuel Sinyangwe
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Colorado Open Records Act, I hereby request the following records:
1. the total number of use of force incidents, separated by year and by type of force used from 2016-2019 (for example, "27 taser incidents in 2016, 3 baton incidents in 2017, etc.)
2. the total number of civilian complaints alleging any form of law enforcement misconduct that were reported and the total number sustained, separated by year (for example, 8 complaints in 2016, 2 complaints sustained in 2017, 4 complaints in 2018, 1 complaint sustained in 2019, etc.)
3. the total number of civilian complaints alleging law enforcement use of excessive force that were reported and the total number sustained from 2016-2019, 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 2016-2019, separated by year
Note that my requests for civilian complaints are specifically for civilian complaints alleging police misconduct, please do not include complaints filed by one officer/the department against another officer.
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 3 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Samuel Sinyangwe
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Colorado Open Records Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on July 5, 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: El Paso County Sheriff
Dear Samuel Sinyangwe,
I am in receipt of your CORA request. I have been out of the office on vacation and just returned.
Your rest will take approximately 30 hours to compile and review for release. Under our current policy you will get the first hour free and will be charged $33.58 per hour thereafter with a cost not to exceed $973.82.
Would you like to proceed or reduce the scope of your request? If you would like us to proceed, we will require half payment before we begin the work.
Kind regards,
Jacqueline Kirby
Media Relations Manager
El Paso County Sheriff's Office
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From: Samuel Sinyangwe
To Whom It May Concern:
Please find enclosed a check for $973.82 to satisfy the fee associated with the attached public records request.
Thank you.
El Paso County Sheriff
CORA Office
27 East Vermijo Avenue
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Colorado Open Records Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on July 5, 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 Colorado Open Records Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on July 5, 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: El Paso County Sheriff
I just received the payment today. We will begin processing your request.
Kind regards,
Jacqueline Kirby
Media Relations Manager
El Paso County Sheriff's Office
-
~WRD0002
From: El Paso County Sheriff
Hello,
We are in receipt of your funds for the requested CORA (see below). Here is the information you requested:
1. the total number of use of force incidents, separated by year and by type of force used from 2016-2019 (for example, "27 taser incidents in 2016, 3 baton incidents in 2017, etc.)
Please keep in mind our tracking system did not begin until some time mid-2016. Although there are reports prior to mid-2016, this would require an extensive search since there was no system that existed. We are not required to create new records or manipulate existing records from a system that did not exist. There are no responsive documents for incidents prior to mid-2016. We do not have an implied duty to manipulate computer generated data under the public records act in order to create a new document solely for purposes of disclosure. Office of State Court Adm'r v. Background Info. Servs., Inc., 994 P.2d 420 (Colo. 1999).
Each deputy enters their own UOF report. Therefore, these numbers are based off of individual UOF reports and not off of each incident. For example, if three deputies are involved in a single event and each deputy uses physical force and therefore submits a UOF report, it will count three uses of physical force in the data for the single event. Please see the attached document for the numbers.
1. the total number of civilian complaints alleging any form of law enforcement misconduct that were reported and the total number sustained, separated by year (for example, 8 complaints in 2016, 2 complaints sustained in 2017, 4 complaints in 2018, 1 complaint sustained in 2019, etc.)
Total Complaints
Sustained Complaints
2016
69
19
2017
61
11
2018
60
7
2019
63
8
3. the total number of civilian complaints alleging law enforcement use of excessive force that were reported and the total number sustained from 2016-2019, separated by year.
Citizen Allegations of UOF
# Sustained
2016
9
2
2017
9
1
2018
3
0
2019
4
0
4. the total number of civilian complaints alleging biased policing or racial profiling that were reported and the total number sustained from 2016-2019, separated by year
Please keep in mind our tracking system did not begin until some time mid-2016. Although there are reports prior to mid-2016, this would require an extensive search since there was no system that existed. There are no responsive documents. We do not have an implied duty to manipulate computer generated data under the public records act in order to create a new document solely for purposes of disclosure. Office of State Court Adm'r v. Background Info. Servs., Inc., 994 P.2d 420 (Colo. 1999).
Our Body Worn Cameras were implemented June of 2017 and utilized by our Patrol deputies.
Thank you,
Sergeant Deborah Mynatt
Public Information Officer
El Paso County Sheriff's Office
27 E. Vermijo Avenue
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
719-520-7141
719-330-0560
CAUTION: This email originated from outside the El Paso County technology network. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Please call IT Customer Support at 520-6355 if you are unsure of the integrity of this message.
________________________________
El Paso County Sheriff
CORA Office
27 East Vermijo Avenue
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
July 6, 2020
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Colorado Open Records Act, I hereby request the following records:
1. the total number of use of force incidents, separated by year and by type of force used from 2016-2019 (for example, "27 taser incidents in 2016, 3 baton incidents in 2017, etc.)
2. the total number of civilian complaints alleging any form of law enforcement misconduct that were reported and the total number sustained, separated by year (for example, 8 complaints in 2016, 2 complaints sustained in 2017, 4 complaints in 2018, 1 complaint sustained in 2019, etc.)
3. the total number of civilian complaints alleging law enforcement use of excessive force that were reported and the total number sustained from 2016-2019, 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 2016-2019, separated by year
Note that my requests for civilian complaints are specifically for civilian complaints alleging police misconduct, please do not include complaints filed by one officer/the department against another officer.
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 3 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Samuel Sinyangwe
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