Alisha Patel v. Boxford, Town of - Police Department (SPR 20240835)

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Public Records Division Manza Arthur Supervisor of Records March 29, 2024 SPR24/0835 James B. Riter Chief of Police Boxford Police Department 285 Ipswich Road Boxford, MA 01921 Dear Chief Riter: I have received the petition of Alisha Patel, on behalf of Attorney Katherine Stathulis, both of the Center for Public Interest, Advocacy, and Collaboration, appealing the nonresponse of the Boxford Police Department (Department) to a request for public records. See G. L. c. 66, § 10A; see also 950 C.M.R. 32.08(1). On January 11, 2024, Ms. Patel requested the following records: [1.] An extract of your records management system or database that includes each school-related arrest and each referral to law enforcement conducted during the 2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 school year (up until the day the records are produced). . .[;] [2.] If such an extract of the database in question 1 is not possible, please provide police reports and school incident reports on each school-related arrest conducted during the 2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 school year (up until the day the records are produced)[;] [3.] Please provide with an unduplicated count of arrested students for each school year including 2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 school year (up until the day the records are produced)[;] [4.] If such an extract of the database in question 1 is not possible, please provide police reports and school incident reports on each referral to law enforcement conducted during the 2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 school year (up until the day the records are produced, per the U.S Department of Education’s Civil Rights Data Collection for that year. For each referral to law 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

James B. Riter SPR24/0835 Page 2 March 29, 2024 enforcement, please include the school, demographic, and incident information described in DESE’s School Safety and Discipline Report Data Handbook V. 20.0[;] [5.] Please also provide an unduplicated count of referrals to law enforcement (as defined above) for each school year including the 2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2020 2021, and 2021-2022 school year (up until the day the records are produced)[;] [6.] A copy of any active memorandum of agreement and/or standard operating procedures between your police department and local school districts regarding police placement or activity in schools[;] [7.] A copy of any active standard operating procedures developed with the police department and/or other law enforcement agencies regarding police placement or activity in your corresponding school[;] [8.] Any records instructing or informing police personnel of, or otherwise describing, data reporting requirements and procedures for complying with M. G. L.c. 71 § 37P(b). Claiming to not yet have received responsive records, Ms. Patel petitioned this office and this appeal, SPR24/0835, was opened as a result. Subsequently, I learned that the Department provided Ms. Patel with a response on March 25, 2024. Where this appeal was opened as a result of the Department’s lack of a written response, I will now consider this administrative appeal closed. Ms. Patel 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: Alisha Patel Katherine Stathulis, Esq.