Dear South Plainfield Police Department,

Please accept this electronic request for public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access. I am not required to fill out an official form or use a particular software platform to submit my request per NJSA 47:1A-5(f), which states that an email from a requestor including all of the information required on the adopted form shall suffice in place of a completed form as a valid government record request.

I HAVE NOT been convicted of any indictable offense under the laws of New Jersey, any other state, or the United States.

I WILL NOT use the requested government records for a commercial purpose.

I AM NOT seeking records in connection with a legal proceeding.

Records requested: Pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (OPRA), I request copies of any current or former South Plainfield Police Department General Orders, Special Orders, Directives, Policies, Rules, Regulations, Memoranda, or other written guidance that govern, restrict, regulate, require approval for, or otherwise address communications between police officers and elected officials.

This request includes, but is not limited to, any written policy concerning communications between police officers and:

* The Mayor;
* Members of the Borough Council;
* Elected municipal officials;
* The Borough Administrator;
* Any elected or appointed governing body.

If any responsive document has been revised, superseded, or rescinded, I request copies of both the current and prior versions maintained by the South Plainfield Police Department.

Please provide responsive records electronically.

My preferred delivery method for response(s) to this request is by E-mail as attachments. Please confirm you have received this request. If you are not the custodian of records, please forward my request to that person and provide their email address to me for future reference.

Yours faithfully,
Freddy Young

Hello,

Can you please identify the specific statutory exemption, privilege, executive order, regulation, or case law relied upon for withholding the requested record. If only portions of the record are exempt, please provide the remainder with appropriate redactions and an explanation of each redaction.

Yours sincerely,

Freddy Young

Dear South Plainfield Police Department,

The statutory deadline for responding to this OPRA request is today, June 25th.

Please identify the specific statutory exemption, privilege, executive order, regulation, or case law relied upon for withholding the requested record(s). If only portions of the requested records are exempt from disclosure, please produce the non-exempt portions with appropriate redactions and identify the legal basis for each redaction.

If the requested records are not produced, or a legally sufficient basis for withholding them is not provided during this internal review, I intend to file a Denial of Access Complaint with the Government Records Council.

Yours faithfully,

Freddy Young

Dear Rachel Voelkel,

Thank you for your response.

I respectfully disagree that my original request failed to identify an identifiable government record. However, in an effort to resolve this matter without the need for further proceedings, I am narrowing my request.

Please provide any South Plainfield Police Department General Order, Special Order, Directive, Policy, Rule, Regulation, Memorandum, or other written guidance issued, revised, or in effect between January 1, 2025, and June 15, 2026, that governs, restricts, regulates, requires approval for, or otherwise addresses communications between police officers and elected officials, including the Mayor, Borough Council, Borough Administrator, or other elected municipal officials.

If no responsive records exist within that time period, please advise accordingly.

I hope this narrowed request resolves the Borough’s stated concerns regarding the scope of my original request. If you prefer, I will initiate a new request. However, If the requested records are not produced, I will consider pursuing the remedies available under the Open Public Records Act.
Yours sincerely,

Fred Young