Invoice of Body Camera Purchase in the Police Department
Dear Denville Township,
This is a request for public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access. I am not required to fill out an official form. Please acknowledge receipt of this message.
Records requested:
1. Total number of body cameras currently deployed in the police department.
2. Date on which body cameras were deployed to any of the police officers for the first time (year and month).
3. All invoices of body cameras purchases (if body cameras were purchased).
4. Dates of initial body camera assignment for each police officer currently employed.
Yours faithfully,
T. Kim
Good Afternoon,
You submitted an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) Request Form to Denville Township which was received by the Municipal Clerk on 8/30/2023. Pursuant to the Act, the Township has 7 business days, beginning the day after receipt of the request by the Records Custodian, within which to respond.
Your request sought access to the following:
* Total number of body cameras currently deployed in the Police Department
* Date on which body cameras were deployed to any of the public officers for the first time (year and month)
* All invoices of body cameras purchases (if body cameras were purchased)
* Date of initial body camera assignment for each police officer currently employed
Portions of this request is invalid under OPRA as it is overbroad. It fails to adequately identify specific records, as required under OPRA. A valid OPRA request must "identify with . . . specificity or particularity the government records sought." MAG Entm't, LLC v. Div. of Alcoholic Beverage Control, 375 N.J. Super. 534, 546 (App. Div. 2005). OPRA does not "authorize a party to make a blanket request for every document a public agency has on file. Rather, a party requesting access to a public record under OPRA must specifically describe the document sought." Bent v. Twp. of Stafford Police Dep't, Custodian of Records, 381 N.J. Super. 30, 37 (App. Div. 2005). Furthermore, "OPRA does not convert a custodian into a researcher . . . ." Lagerkvist v. Office of Governor of State, 443 N.J. Super. 230, 237 (App. Div. 2015); see also Elcavage v. W. Milford Twp., GRC Complaint No. 2006-64 (May 2008) ("[T]he Custodian had no legal duty to conduct research to locate records potentially responsive to the Complainant's request."). However, the Township has conducted a search for the records you have properly identified.
Attached, please find the records that to the best of my knowledge are believed to be responsive to your request. Redactions have been made to camera serial numbers pursuant to N.J.S.A 47:1A-5.
There are no other records responsive to your OPRA Request. This request is now deemed complete and closed.
Thank you,
Tara M. Pettoni, RMC
Municipal Clerk
Township of Denville
1 St. Mary's Place
Denville, NJ 07834
(973) 625-8300, ext. 232