Christian A. Williams v. Boston, City of - Law Department (SPR 20201325)

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Public Records Division Rebecca S. Murray Supervisor of Records August 21, 2020 SPR20/1325 Shawn A. Williams, Esq. Director of Public Records Records Access Officer City of Boston 1 City Hall Plaza, Room 615 Boston, MA 02201 Dear Attorney Williams: I have received the petition of Christian A. Williams appealing the nonresponse of the City of Boston (City) to a request for public records. G. L. c. 66, § 10A; see also 950 C.M.R. 32.08(1). Specifically, on July 7, 2020, Mr. Williams requested the following records within the possession of the City: • A copy of any leasing agreements, purchasing orders or other written documentation regarding the usage, possession, or potential or actual acquisition of unmanned aerial vehicles (“drones”) by the Boston Police Department; • A copy of any plans, reports, e-mails or other studies done registering obtaining a drone; • Any RFPs, RFCs or other proposal documents created requesting bids or information from vendors to sell, lease or otherwise offer drones to this department, as well as grant applications made from this department to other agencies or entities for funds to purchase, lease or otherwise obtain or investigate the feasibility of drones; • Any documentation that outlines specific proposals or plans for how the department would use unmanned vehicles, such as for surveillance, search and rescue operations, or disaster relief; • Any department policies, guidelines, or instructions on the department use of drones, including the legal process required. One Ashburton Place, Room 1719, Boston, Massachusetts 02108 • (617) 727-2832• Fax: (617) 727-5914 sec.state.ma.us/pre • pre@sec.state.ma.us

Mr. Shawn A. Williams, Esq. SPR20/1325 Page 2 August 21, 2020 Claiming to not yet have received responsive records, Mr. Williams petitioned this office and this appeal, SPR20/1325, was opened as a result. Conclusion Despite being notified of the opening of this appeal by a staff member of the Public Records Division, the City has yet to provide a response with respect to Mr. Williams’s July 7, 2020 request. Accordingly, the City is ordered to provide Mr. Williams with said response in compliance with the Public Records Law and Access Regulations as soon as is practicable. It is preferable to send an electronic copy of this response to this office at pre@sec.state.ma.us. Mr. Williams may appeal the substantive nature of the City’s response within ninety (90) days. See 950 C.M.R. 32.08(1). Sincerely, Rebecca S. Murray Supervisor of Records cc: Mr. Christian A. Williams