Social media information and policies for the ho-ho-kus police department
Dear Ho-Ho-Kus Borough,
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. Name and title of the person(s) responsible for administering/moderating the ho-ho-kus police department Facebook page on Sunday, November 12, 2023.
2. List of all administrative/moderator actions taken on the ho-ho-kus police department’s Facebook page on Sunday, November 12, 2023. I am specifically looking for a list of Facebook usernames, copies of associated comments that were deleted and/or banned from the police department’s public-facing Facebook page, along with all administrator/moderator notes on each action they took.
3. Copy of the borough’s policies on social media moderation/administration
4. Copy of the police department’s polices on social media moderation/administration
5. Total count of how many users the police department has banned from their public Facebook page since January 1, 2023.
Yours faithfully,
Anonymous Citizen
Please see below & attached response to your OPRA request.
1. Name and title of the person(s) responsible for administering/moderating the ho-ho-kus police department Facebook page on Sunday, November 12, 2023.
Initially, I note that this request does not identify specific government records. A proper request under OPRA must identify with reasonable clarity those documents that are desired, and a party cannot satisfy this requirement by simply requesting information. Custodians are not required to conduct research or create new records in response to an OPRA request. See Bent v. Stafford Police Department, 381 N.J.Super. 30, 37 (App. Div. 2005). Wholesale requests for general information to be analyzed, collated and compiled are not `encompassed` by OPRA, See New Jersey Builders Association v. New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing, 390 N.J.Super. 166, 180 (App. Div. 2007).
Further, this request is unclear as to which records might be sought related to “administering/monitoring.” The above being said, and in the interest of transparency, Sgt. Mosca is generally in charge of the Facebook page. To the extent you are seeking additional records, kindly clarify.
2. List of all administrative/moderator actions taken on the ho-ho-kus police department’s Facebook page on Sunday, November 12, 2023. I am specifically looking for a list of Facebook usernames, copies of associated comments that were deleted and/or banned from the police department’s public-facing Facebook page, along with all administrator/moderator notes on each action they took.
Please see the attached record which notes that no users have been banned from the police department’s Facebook page. As to comments which may have been deleted, it is our understanding that Facebook, not the Borough, utilizes a profanity and other filters, which will automatically delete certain comments which violate the platforms’ guidelines. The Borough does not keep a specific log of any comments which were deleted.
3. Copy of the borough’s policies on social media moderation/administration
Please see the attached.
4. Copy of the police department’s polices on social media moderation/administration
Please see the attached.
5. Total count of how many users the police department has banned from their public Facebook page since January 1, 2023.
Please see the attached record which notes that no users have been banned from the police department’s Facebook page
Sincerely,
Joan Hervé, RMC, CMR
Municipal Clerk/Registrar
Borough of Ho-Ho-Kus
333 Warren Avenue
Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ 07423-1547
201-652-4400 Ext. 223
[Ho-Ho-Kus Borough request email]