Dear Tony Michael:

The Jefferson Township Clerk’s Office received your request (the “Request”) under the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. (“OPRA”) on September 19, 2025. In your request, you sought access to the following:

Records requested:

Body worn camera footage of all fire department assists performed between 7-1-25 and 7-14-25

Response: OPRA is a request for specific, identifiable documents and broad requests or requests for “information” or “any/all” are not proper requests. As such, the remainder of your request is an invalid OPRA request and is denied.

An OPRA request must identify the documents sought with specificity and particularity. Burke v. Brandes, 429 N.J. Super. 169, 175 (App. Div. 2012). A general request for documents is invalid under OPRA if such documents are not “reasonably described with such identifying information” sufficient to identify specific government records. See id. at 176-77. Moreover, “OPRA does not require record custodians to conduct research among its records for a requestor and correlate data from various government records in the custodian’s possession.” MAG Entertainment, LLC v. Div. of ABC, 375 N.J. Super. 534, 546-47 (App. Div. 2005).

OPRA is not a research tool, and it cannot be used “to force government officials to identify and siphon useful information.” See id. at 546. Rather, OPRA simply operates “to make identifiable government records “readily accessible for inspection, copying, or examination.” Ibid. (citing N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1). Furthermore, OPRA does not “authorize a party to make a blanket request for every document a public agency has on file.” Bent v. Twp. of Stafford Police Dep't, Custodian of Records, 381 N.J. Super. 30, 37 (App. Div. 2005)

Please consider your request closed.

Please submit all OPRA (public records) requests through the on-line portal:
https://jefferson.seamlessdocs.com/f/OPRA

Using the on-line portal is important as:

-it displays confirmation that the request has been submitted
-it sends an email confirmation that the request has been submitted
-it assigns a tracking number to the request
-it sends the request to the appropriate group email account
-it allows the requestor to email (to themselves) a copy of the document

I appreciate your anticipated cooperation in using the on-line portal, as your email may be marked as spam when using other programs and delay the Clerk’s Office receipt of the request.

If you have questions about how to use the portal please contact the Clerk’s Office.

If your request for access to a government record has been denied or unfilled within the seven (7) business days required by law, you have a right to challenge the decision by the Township of Jefferson to deny access. At your option, you may either institute a proceeding in the Superior Court of New Jersey or file a complaint with the Government Records Council (GRC) by completing the Denial of Access Complaint Form. You may contact the GRC by toll-free telephone at 866-850-0511, by mail at P.O. Box 819, Trenton, NJ, 08625, by e-mail at [email address], or at their web site at www.state.nj.us/grc. The GRC can also answer other questions about the law. All questions regarding complaints filed in Superior Court should be directed to the Court Clerk in your County.

If you have any questions, please contact me either via email at [email address] or by telephone at 973-208-6132.

Best Regards,
Amanda L. Nevins, RMC, CMR
Deputy Township Clerk
Township of Jefferson
1033 Weldon Rd
Lake Hopatcong, NJ  07849
973-208-6132

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