Michael Dreslinski v. Executive Office of Public Safety & Security - Department of Public Safety (SPR 20160116)

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Public Records Division Shawn A. Williams Supervisor ofR ecords March 8, 2016 SPR16/116 Ms. Theresa A. Lepore Department of Public Safety One Ashburton Place, Room 1301 Boston, MA 021 08 Dear Ms. Lepore: I have received the petition of Michael Dreslinski appealing the nonresponse of the Department of Public Safety (Department) to a request for public records. G. L. c. 66 § 1O (b ); see also 950 C.M.R. 32.08(2). Specifically, Mr. Dreslinski requested a copy of a letter from a specifically identified legislator to Public Safety Secretary Daniel Bennett. Having received no response, Mr. Dreslinski petitioned this office. Under the Public Records Law and the Access Regulations (Regulations) all requests for public records must be met with a response within ten (1 0) days of the request. G. L. c. 66, § IO(b); 950 C.M.R. 32.05. The response may be an offer to provide records, a fee estimate for provision of the records, or a denial. The Department is advised that all records custodians must comply with both the Public Records Law and the Regulations with respect to the timeliness of response. Subsequent to the intervention by a member of my staff, this office was notified that a response was provided by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (Office), dated · February 10, 2016. Whereas this matter was opened based upon the Department's failure to provide a written response, I will now consider this administrative appeal closed. Mr. Dreslinski may appeal the substantive nature of the Office's response within ninety (90) days. See 950 C.M.R. 32.08(2). To assist in requesting and responding to requests for public records please refer to our publication, A Guide to the Massachusetts Public Records Law. This document is available on the Internet, free of charge, at http://www.sec.state.ma.us/pre/prepdf/guide.pdf. Attorneys on my staff are available during regular business hours to answer general questions regarding the Public Records Law. OneAshburton Place, Room 1719, Boston, Massachusetts 02108 · (617) 727-2832 ·Fax (617) 727-5914 www.sec.state.ma.us/pre

Ms. Theresa A. Lepore SPR16/116 Page2 March 8, 2016 In addition, members of my staff will visit a records custodian in person to conduct training workshops on the Public Records Law upon request. Please contact my office directly at the telephone number provided in this determination rt information. cc: Mr. Michael Dreslinski