Dear Town of Secaucus,

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-6(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 respectfully request access to the following government records:

All body-worn camera footage, dash camera footage, and rear seat camera footage (if applicable) related to the arrests of Carolina Ogando-DeMejia (40 years old, of Jersey City, NJ) and a 13-year-old female (of Jersey City, NJ) on July 2, 2024, at approximately 2:03 PM.

The incident occurred at Walmart in Secaucus, NJ, where Ms. Ogando-DeMejia and the juvenile were arrested for Shoplifting [2C:20-11B(1)], Conspiracy to Commit Shoplifting [2C:5-2A(1)], Employing a Juvenile in the Commission of a Crime [2C:24-9A], and Endangering the Welfare of a Child [2C:24-4] (in the case of Ms. Ogando-DeMejia).

Ms. Ogando-DeMejia was issued a complaint summons and released, while the 13-year-old juvenile was issued a juvenile complaint summons and released into the custody of a responsible adult.

Please include footage from shortly before, during, and after officers' arrival at Walmart; all interactions with Ms. Ogando-DeMejia and the juvenile; the arrest process; and any transport to police headquarters. If multiple officers or recording devices were present, please provide footage from each.

If any footage will be withheld or redacted, please notify me in advance, provide a specific explanation for each withholding, and cite the legal basis. Given the public interest in transparency regarding theft, child welfare, and law enforcement interactions, full disclosure is essential.

I respectfully request that any associated fees be waived, as this request is made in the public interest for purposes of transparency and news reporting. If fees are necessary, please inform me first before fulfilling the request.

I prefer that all responsive records be delivered electronically via email.

Please confirm receipt of this request. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
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,

woodlfilms