Date: March 4, 2026
Subject: OPRA Request — Records of SCCC “notification to law enforcement jurisdictions” re authorized armed personnel (Weapons Policies 600.02/600.03) (01/01/2019–Present)
Pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (OPRA), I request copies of records maintained by the Newton Police Department from January 1, 2019 through the present that constitute, evidence, or reference any notification from Sussex County Community College (SCCC) (or any SCCC employee, administrator, campus security personnel, or counsel) to Newton PD or any Newton PD employee regarding any individual authorized to carry a firearm on SCCC property, including notifications consistent with SCCC weapons policies requiring “notification to law enforcement jurisdictions” of authorized armed personnel.
Requester Certification (to reduce back‑and‑forth)
I am requesting these records under OPRA as public records, not as civil discovery.
This request is not for any commercial purpose.
I am requesting these records for informational/public-interest purposes and to understand agency recordkeeping and communications concerning notifications of authorized armed personnel.
I understand certain information may be lawfully redacted under OPRA (e.g., personal identifiers, confidential law‑enforcement techniques, or other specific exemptions) and I request production of all reasonably segregable, non‑exempt portions.
If the agency asserts any exemption, please cite the specific exemption and provide an index/log sufficient to understand what was withheld (date, sender/recipient, general subject).
Records Requested (non-exhaustive)
Please produce the following categories of records:
Notifications from SCCC to Newton PD
Any letters, emails, faxes, forms, memoranda, or attachments transmitted by SCCC to Newton PD that state or imply an individual is authorized to carry a firearm on SCCC property.
Any record transmitting a name, photograph, date of birth, physical description, badge/ID number, employment status/role, or credentials of any armed SCCC employee/security personnel.
Rosters / lists / summaries
Any roster, list, spreadsheet, or summary of armed SCCC personnel or “authorized carry” individuals provided by SCCC, including updated versions.
Newton PD internal records about SCCC authorized carry
Any Newton PD emails, reports, memoranda, notes, or internal messages discussing SCCC’s weapons policy, SCCC armed personnel, or notifications/authorization for armed carry on SCCC property.
Keyword-targeted records
Any record containing or referencing any of the following keywords/phrases in connection with SCCC:
“SCCC” / “Sussex County Community College”
“weapons policy” / “weapon policy”
“Policy 600.03” / “600.03”
“authorized to carry” / “authorization to carry”
“armed security” / “armed guard”
“retired police officer” / “RPO”
“SORA” / “SORA Level 2” / “Level 2”
“notification to law enforcement” / “law enforcement notification”
Named person term
Any record referencing Jon Connolly in connection with firearms/weapons on SCCC property, armed personnel, or any notification/authorization process relating to armed carry.
Search Instructions (requested)
To help locate responsive records, please search:
Newton PD Records Division files;
Newton PD email accounts for command staff and records/OPRA personnel (including shared mailboxes if any);
any RMS/CAD or electronic document repository used to store correspondence.
Suggested search terms: “SCCC”, “Sussex County Community College”, “Connolly”, “600.03”, “authorized carry”, “authorization to carry”, “armed security”, “retired officer”, “RPO”, “SORA”, “Level 2”, “notification”, “weapons policy”.
If no responsive records exist, please provide a written response stating that a reasonable search was conducted and identifying, at a high level, the systems searched.
Rolling Production / No-Unnecessary Extensions
If responsive records are located, I request rolling production as records are gathered. If Newton PD believes an extension is necessary, please specify:
the reason,
the expected production date, and
whether any subset can be produced sooner.
Production Format
Please provide all responsive records electronically (PDF). If records exist in native electronic format (email .msg/.eml, spreadsheets), please provide them in native form where available.
Redactions / Withholdings
If any portion of a record is withheld or redacted, please:
cite the specific OPRA exemption(s) relied upon, and
provide an index/log identifying withheld records by date, author/sender, recipient, and general subject matter, and
produce all reasonably segregable non-exempt portions.
Fees
If there will be any fees, please provide a written cost estimate before processing.
Thank you.