Date: September 6, 2024

 

Submitted To:

[Agency Name – New Kensington Police Department and Arnold Police Department]

 

RE: Right-to-Know Law Request

 

Dear Open Records Officer,

 

Pursuant to the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law (RTKL), 65 P.S. § 67.101 et seq., I am requesting access to records regarding law enforcement and public surveillance in New Kensington and Arnold. Below, I have outlined the specific records I am requesting. Please notify me if any fees associated with this request will exceed $100, or if additional clarification is needed.

 

1. Public Complaints and Incident Reports (September 6, 2019 – September 6, 2024)

 

I am requesting copies of all public complaints and incident reports filed with or involving the New Kensington Police Department and Arnold Police Department from September 6, 2019, to September 6, 2024. Specifically, I am seeking:

 

 • Complaints related to jurisdictional issues, crime deferral, or the handling of crime between New Kensington and Arnold.

 • Complaints of police misconduct, including excessive force, racial bias, wrongful arrests, or mishandling of incidents.

 • Incident reports that show patterns of crime being redirected or transferred between New Kensington and Arnold.

 • All internal investigations related to these complaints.

 

2. Public Spending and Traffic Stop Costs

 

I am requesting detailed records of public spending related to law enforcement activities in New Kensington and Arnold from September 6, 2019, to September 6, 2024, including:

 

 • A breakdown of spending on traffic enforcement, including officer time, equipment purchases (e.g., body cams, radar guns, license plate readers), and officer overtime for traffic stops.

 • Statistics on revenue generated from traffic stops, including fines, court fees, and legal costs.

 • Court and administrative costs associated with handling traffic violations.

 • Spending related to legal disputes or settlements involving traffic stops.

 • The cost of traffic stops, including officer time, legal fees, and other related expenses.

 

3. Statistics on Traffic Stops (September 6, 2019 – September 6, 2024)

 

I am requesting statistics on traffic stops conducted by the New Kensington and Arnold Police Departments, including:

 

 • The total number of traffic stops, broken down by year.

 • Demographic breakdowns (e.g., age, race, gender) of individuals stopped.

 • Outcomes of traffic stops, including tickets issued, arrests, and warnings.

 • Officer time spent on traffic stops compared to other duties.

 • The average duration of traffic stops and the number of officers involved per stop.

 • Locations and frequency of traffic stops, including identified hotspots.

 

4. Public Surveillance Camera Locations

 

I am requesting records regarding the locations of all publicly owned or operated surveillance cameras in New Kensington and Arnold, including traffic cameras, street cameras, and any cameras used for public safety monitoring purposes. Please provide a map or list of all camera locations.

 

5. Additional Information

 

Please provide records of all internal communications, emails, and memos between the New Kensington and Arnold Police Departments related to:

 

 • Cross-jurisdictional discussions or disputes over crime management.

 • Communication regarding the transfer of responsibility for crime incidents between New Kensington and Arnold.

 • Any records or discussions regarding traffic stops and enforcement in areas near the New Kensington-Arnold border.

 

If any records requested are exempt from release, I request that you provide the legal basis for the exemption and release all non-exempt portions of the requested records. Please notify me if additional time is needed to process this request or if clarification is required.

 

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your timely response.