MVA Tonnelle Ave. 1/8/2022 7am
OPRA Request
Motor vehicle accident that occurred on 1/8/2022 at 7am.
Please provide the following:
(1) A complete copy of the entire investigation file regarding this incident;
(2) All surveillance video and/or traffic camera video at Tonnelle Ave. in or around 43rd Street
(3) All police dash camera videos including the audio recordings related to this incident;
(4) All police body camera videos including the audio recordings related to this incident;
(5) All notes taken by the responding police officers including the name, address, and telephone numbers of all witnesses to this incident;
(6) All photographs and/or videos regarding this incident;
(7) All reports from the Police Department and Fire Department regarding this incident;
(8) All CAD reports regarding this incident;
(9) All 911 phone call audio recordings describing and/or mentioning this incident to the 911 dispatcher, police, and/or fire department.
Yours faithfully,
Hudson Media Project
Township of North Bergen
Open Public Records Request
Reference Number: OPRA-2022-00293
Date Entered: 2/7/2022 12:46:08 PM
Dear Hudson Media Project media,
This email is to confirm submission of your Open Public Records Request to
the Township of North Bergen. Additional emails will be sent upon
processing of your request.
The request seeks access to the following records:
Motor vehicle accident that occurred on 1/8/2022 at 7am.
Please provide the following:
(1) A complete copy of the entire investigation file regarding this
incident;
(2) All surveillance video and/or traffic camera video at Tonnelle Ave. in
or around 43rd Street
(3) All police dash camera videos including the audio recordings related
to this incident;
(4) All police body camera videos including the audio recordings related
to this incident;
(5) All notes taken by the responding police officers including the name,
address, and telephone numbers of all witnesses to this incident;
(6) All photographs and/or videos regarding this incident;
(7) All reports from the Police Department and Fire Department regarding
this incident;
(8) All CAD reports regarding this incident;
(9) All 911 phone call audio recordings describing and/or mentioning this
incident to the 911 dispatcher, police, and/or fire department.
Yours faithfully,
Hudson Media Project
A copy of the request is attached for your records.
This is an automated response, please do not reply. If you have any
questions please feel free to contact the Township of North Bergen at
(201) 392-2024 and quote the reference number above.
Sincerely,
Erin Barillas, RMC
Clerk`s Department/Records Custodian
Township of North Bergen
Open Public Records Request
Reference Number: OPRA-2022-00293
Date Entered: 2/7/2022 12:46:00 PM
Dear Hudson Media Project media,
This email is to confirm receipt of your Open Public Records Request by
the Township of North Bergen. The Custodian of Records received your
request on 02/07/2022. As such, the seven (7) business day deadline to
respond to your request is 02/16/2022.
The request seeks access to the following records:
Motor vehicle accident that occurred on 1/8/2022 at 7am.
Please provide the following:
(1) A complete copy of the entire investigation file regarding this
incident;
(2) All surveillance video and/or traffic camera video at Tonnelle Ave. in
or around 43rd Street
(3) All police dash camera videos including the audio recordings related
to this incident;
(4) All police body camera videos including the audio recordings related
to this incident;
(5) All notes taken by the responding police officers including the name,
address, and telephone numbers of all witnesses to this incident;
(6) All photographs and/or videos regarding this incident;
(7) All reports from the Police Department and Fire Department regarding
this incident;
(8) All CAD reports regarding this incident;
(9) All 911 phone call audio recordings describing and/or mentioning this
incident to the 911 dispatcher, police, and/or fire department.
Yours faithfully,
Hudson Media Project
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 Township of North Bergen 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.
This is an automated response, please do not reply. If you have any
questions please feel free to contact the Township of North Bergen at
(201) 392-2024 and quote the reference number above.
Sincerely,
Erin Barillas, RMC
Clerk`s Department/Records Custodian
Dear Madam or Sir:
The Township of North Bergen (“Township”) writes in response to your February 4, 2022 e-mail request seeking records pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1, et seq. (“OPRA”).
You sought, with respect to “MVA Tonnelle Ave. 1/8/2022 7am” the following records:
“(1) A complete copy of the entire investigation file regarding this incident”;
In response to this request, see attached reports. Your request for the entire investigation file is denied due the ongoing nature of the investigation. N.J.S.A. 47:1A-3(a).
“(2) All surveillance video and/or traffic camera video at Tonnelle Ave. in or around 43rd Street”;
In response to this request, the Township has duplicated all responsive footage to a CD-ROM, as the files are too large to send via e-mail. Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5.b, the actual cost of the CD-ROM is $0.25. Please hand deliver or mail a check made payable to the “Township of North Bergen,” referencing OPRA Request 2022-00293, to:
Erin Barillas
Township Clerk
Township of North Bergen
4233 Kennedy Boulevard
North Bergen, NJ 07047
Once the Township receives payment, you may collect the CD-ROM from the Clerk’s Office. At your option, the Clerk can mail the CD-ROM to an address you provide for an additional $0.53 in postage ($0.78 total for the CD and postage).
“(3) All police dash camera videos including the audio recordings related to this incident”;
The Township has no dash camera videos or associated audio.
“(4) All police body camera videos including the audio recordings related to this incident”;
OPRA allows public agencies to impose special service charges whenever the nature, format, manner of collation, or volume of a government record is such that fulfilling a request requires an extraordinary expenditure of time and effort. See N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5.c.
The Township possesses multiple body worn camera (“BWC”) recordings for the requested incident. The recordings collectively amount to approximately fifteen (15) hours of footage that the Township will be required to review in order to make redactions to ensure compliance under OPRA. The Township estimates it will take approximately 10 hours to collect, review visual and audio, redact, and record the footage for release to you. The Township will accordingly require a deposit of $666.00 (10 hours x $66.60/hour- the hourly rate of the lowest paid employee capable of performing such work), via check made payable to the Township, before the Township commences its review. Any unused portion of the deposit will be returned to you. The Township will require an additional deposit to complete the review, at your option, should the review exceed 10 hours.
If you do not approve or reject this charge within seven (7) business days, the Township will deem your request for BWC footage withdrawn.
The Township invites you to contact the Police Department’s Records Custodian, Sgt. Constantinos Apostolakos (Tel: 201-392-2144) with any questions related to this portion of the request.
“(5) All notes taken by the responding police officers including the name, address, and telephone numbers of all witnesses to this incident”;
The Township has no records in responsive to this request aside from any comments made in the attached reports.
“(6) All photographs and/or videos regarding this incident”;
Attached.
“(7) All reports from the Police Department and Fire Department regarding this incident”;
See attached Crash and Tow Reports. The Township has no reports from North Hudson Regional Fire & Rescue.
“(8) All CAD reports regarding this incident”;
Attached.
“(9) All 911 phone call audio recordings describing and/or mentioning this incident to the 911 dispatcher, police, and/or fire department.”
Responsive audio recordings have been duplicated to the CD-ROM referenced in response to Item #2.
As with any OPRA request, you have the right to challenge the decision by the Township. 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 PO 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 Hudson County.
Thank you.
Erin Barillas, RMC
Township Clerk
Township of North Bergen
4233 Kennedy Boulevard
North Bergen, NJ 07047
[North Bergen Township request email]
201-392-2024 (phone)
201-330-7694 (fax)