Jeff Raymond v. Fitchburg, City of - Police Department (SPR 20230912)

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Public Records Division Manza Arthur Supervisor of Records May 18, 2023 SPR23/0912 Captain Matthew LeMay Technical Services Commander Fitchburg Police Department 20 Elm St Fitchburg, MA 01420 Dear Captain LeMay: I have received the petition of Jeff Raymond of the Bramanville Tribune appealing the response of the Fitchburg Police Department (Department) to his request for public records. See G. L. c. 66, §10A; see also 950 C.M.R. 32.08(1). On April 10, 2023, Mr. Raymond requested the following records: [1.] A copy of the document your police department sent to the POST Commission, likely sent between November 2021 and June of 2022, providing the information requested by the POST Commission for its ‘database listing complaints against police officers’ planned for May of 2022. [2.] Copies of any relevant responsive communications between a) your police department and/or your town officials and b) the POST Commission in regard to the database planned for May of 2022 as detailed above and/or compliance with the reporting for said database between the dates of July 1, 2021 and December 31, 2022, broadly construed. [3.] Copies of any relevant responsive communications within or between a) your police department and b) your municipal administration in regard to this database and/or compliance with this mandate between the dates of July 1, 2021 and December 31, 2022, broadly construed. [4.] Information concerning ‘complaints against police officers’ issued in the calendar year 2022 and through March 31, 2023, preferably in the same format used for the information sent to POST between November 2021 and June of 2022 for the earlier-mentioned database. [5.] A copy of the document your police department sent to the POST Commission as 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

Captain Matthew LeMay SPR23/0912 Page 2 May 18, 2023 sent to the POST Commission, likely sent between December 1, 2022 and April 9, 2023, to comply with the ‘2023 POST Commission Disciplinary Records Resubmission’ ... [6.] Copies of any relevant responsive communications within or between a) your police department and b) your municipal administration in regard to this database and/or compliance with the ‘2023 POST Commission Disciplinary Records Resubmission’ described above. The Department responded on April 17, 2023. Unsatisfied with the response, Mr. Raymond petitioned this office and this appeal, SPR23/0912, was opened as a result. It is my understanding that the Department intends on providing a further response to Mr. Raymond. Accordingly, the Department is ordered to provide Mr. Raymond with a response to the request in a manner consistent with this order, the Public Records Law and its Regulations within ten (10) business days. A copy of any such response must be provided to this office. It is preferable to send an electronic copy of this response to this office at pre@sec.state.ma.us. Mr. Raymond may appeal the substantive nature of the Department’s response within ninety (90) days. See 950 C.M.R. 32.08(1). Sincerely, Manza Arthur Supervisor of Records cc: Jeff Raymond