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.)

10. **Network Sharing & External Access**: A list of all agencies and organizations with which [Agency Name] shares ALPR data or hot list information, and from which it receives them, including the Flock network share settings ("networks shared with me" and "networks I am sharing") and any exported list of shared networks

11. **Search Audit Logs**: All search audit logs, reports, or exports — including but not limited to the Flock "Organization Audit," "Network Audit," and "Event Log" reports (or successor/equivalent reports) — for [date range — e.g., the most recent three complete months], including all available fields (searching user and organization, networks and devices searched, license plate, stated reason, case number, filters, and search date/time)

12. **Federal & External Sharing Agreements**: All agreements, MOUs, pilot programs, or other arrangements granting any federal agency (including DHS, CBP, or ICE) or out-of-state agency access to ALPR data, and records showing the current status of any national lookup or federal sharing settings

⚠️ **TIME-SENSITIVE**: Due to Flock Safety's 30-day default data retention policy (shorter where state law requires — e.g., 21 days in Washington under SB 6002), I request expedited processing to preserve any relevant data that may be automatically deleted. Please preserve all records responsive to this request upon receipt.

Please provide records in their original electronic, machine-readable format (e.g., CSV or spreadsheet files) where applicable. Records maintained by Flock Safety on [Agency Name]'s behalf are responsive to this request in whatever format they are maintained. 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]
```

---

## 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.) — note: WA also caps ALPR data *retention* at 21 days (SB 6002, 2026); the PRA's 5-business-day deadline is for an *initial response only* — actual production often takes longer, so ask for preservation up front

**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.

---

## Important Notes

### Critical Timing Issue
⏱️ **Flock Safety deletes all data after 30 days by default** on a rolling basis — and some states mandate less (Washington: 21 days under SB 6002). 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.