flock-public-records-toolkit/flock_request_template.md

Streamlined Flock Safety Public Records Request Template

Quick Copy-Paste Version

[Date]

[Agency Name]
[Agency Address]
[City, State ZIP]

RE: Public Records Request - Flock Safety System

Dear Public Records Custodian:

This is a non-commercial public records request made pursuant to [Your State's Public Records Law - e.g., A.R.S. §39-121 for Arizona, C.R.S. §24-72-201 for Colorado].

I am requesting all records related to [Agency Name]'s relationship with Flock Group, Inc. (aka Flock Safety), including:

1. **Contracts & Agreements**: All contracts, amendments, intergovernmental agreements, and related documents between [Agency Name] and Flock Safety or any third parties regarding Flock products/services

2. **Financial Records**: Purchase orders, invoices, billing records, budgets, RFPs, bid responses, cost-benefit analyses, and funding sources (including grants)

3. **Policies & Procedures**: All policies, guidelines, procedures, or protocols (draft or final) regarding installation, operation, monitoring, data retention, data access, data sharing, or deletion

4. **Data Access Records**: Logs of all access requests (internal and external), data-sharing agreements, audit logs, and requests fulfilled or denied

5. **Meeting Records**: Minutes, agendas, notes, and presentations from meetings where Flock cameras or services were discussed

6. **Legal & Compliance**: Legal opinions, risk assessments, privacy impact assessments, compliance reviews, and related correspondence

7. **Technical Documentation**: System specifications, cybersecurity measures, data storage locations, interoperability documentation, and breach notifications

8. **Data Retention**: Policies on retention timeframes, deletion procedures, and actual deletion logs

9. **Training Materials**: Manuals, training materials, installation records, photographs, videos, and communications (emails, notes, etc.)

⚠️ **TIME-SENSITIVE**: Due to Flock Safety's 30-day data retention policy, I request expedited processing to preserve any relevant data that may be automatically deleted.

Please provide records in electronic format if available. If any portions are denied, please provide a written explanation citing the specific legal exemption.

I request that you respond within [timeframe based on state law - e.g., "promptly as required by A.R.S. §39-121" or "10 business days as required by C.R.S. §24-72-203(3)(b)"].

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Email]
[Your Phone]

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State-Specific Legal Citations & Response Times

All 20 supported states, with the law name and statute to cite in your request. Grouped by response deadline:

No specific deadline (must respond "promptly" or within a "reasonable time"):

• Arizona — Arizona Public Records Law (A.R.S. §39-121 et seq.)
• Florida — Florida Public Records Law (Fla. Stat. §119.01 et seq.)
• North Carolina — North Carolina Public Records Law (N.C. Gen. Stat. §132-1 et seq.)
• Ohio — Ohio Public Records Act (Ohio Rev. Code §149.43 et seq.)
• Oregon — Oregon Public Records Law (ORS 192.311 et seq.)

3 business days:

• Georgia — Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. §50-18-70 et seq.)
• New Mexico — Inspection of Public Records Act (NMSA 1978, §14-2-1 et seq.)

5 business days:

• Illinois — Illinois FOIA (5 ILCS 140/1 et seq.)
• Nevada — Nevada Public Records Law (Nev. Rev. Stat. §239.010 et seq.)
• New York — Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) (N.Y. Pub. Off. Law §87 et seq.) — acknowledgment within 5 days
• Pennsylvania — Right-to-Know Law (65 Pa.C.S. §67.101 et seq.)
• Virginia — Virginia FOIA (Va. Code §2.2-3700 et seq.)
• Washington — Washington Public Records Act (RCW 42.56 et seq.)

7 business days:

• Tennessee — Tennessee Public Records Act (Tenn. Code Ann. §10-7-503 et seq.)

10 days:

• California — California Public Records Act (Cal. Gov. Code §7920.000 et seq.)
• Colorado — Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) (C.R.S. §24-72-201 et seq.) — 10 business days
• Massachusetts — Massachusetts Public Records Law (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 66, §10 et seq.) — 10 business days
• Texas — Texas Public Information Act (Tex. Gov't Code §552.001 et seq.) — 10 business days

15 business days:

• Michigan — Michigan FOIA (MCL 15.231 et seq.)

30 days:

• Maryland — Maryland Public Information Act (Md. Code Ann., Gen. Prov. §4-101 et seq.)

Federal agencies only:

• Federal FOIA (5 U.S.C. §552): 20 business days — do NOT cite for state/local requests

Your state not listed? Run bun lookup-state-law.ts --all for details, or look up your state's public records law at https://www.nfoic.org/ and use the generic template language above.

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Important Notes

Critical Timing Issue

⏱️ Flock Safety deletes all data after 30 days on a rolling basis. If your request is delayed or denied initially, specific footage may be permanently deleted. Request expedited processing and follow up immediately.

What This Request Will Get You

✅ Likely to receive:

• Contracts and pricing
• Policies and procedures
• Meeting minutes and financial records
• Training materials and documentation

⚠️ May require legal challenge:

• Actual camera footage/images (courts have ruled both ways)
• Your own vehicle data (strongest legal argument)
• Data about other vehicles (usually denied on privacy grounds)

Tips for Success

1. Be specific about your state's law - Don't use "FOIA" for state requests
2. Request electronic format - Faster and often free
3. Follow up in writing - Document all communications
4. Know your state's fee structure - Many states charge for copies
5. Request fee waiver if applicable - Public interest exemptions may apply
6. Act quickly - 30-day deletion window is real
7. Be prepared to appeal - Many requests require administrative appeals

Recent Legal Wins

Courts have increasingly ruled that Flock data is subject to public records laws:

• Virginia 2025: Cardinal News won FOIA battle for Flock footage
• Washington 2025: Judge ordered police to release surveillance camera data
• General principle: FOIA/public records law trumps vendor contracts

Requesting Your Own Vehicle Data

🎯 Strongest legal argument: Request footage of YOUR OWN vehicle for specific dates/times you traveled through areas with Flock cameras.

This approach has the highest success rate and clearest legal backing.