HomeMy Public PortalAboutPRR 19-2707
Renee Basel
From:Edward K Allen
Sent:Tuesday, April 23, 2019 11:06 AM
To:Renee Basel
Subject:FW: Public Records Request Regarding Use of Cell Site Simulators
From: copwatcher@yahoo.com \[mailto:copwatcher@yahoo.com\]
Sent: Friday, April 19, 2019 8:11 PM
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Subject: Public Records Request Regarding Use of Cell Site Simulators
Re: Public Records Request Regarding Use of Cell Site Simulators I am writing on behalf of
COPWATCH to seek records regarding use of cell site simulators by the POLICE AND
SHERIFFS. Cell site simulators, also called IMSI catchers (in reference to the unique identifier—or
international mobile subscriber identity—of wireless devices), impersonate a wireless service
provider’s cell tower, prompting cell phones and other wireless devices to communicate with them.
These devices are often called “Stingrays,” after the leading model produced by the Melbourne,
Florida-based Harris Corporation. 1 Cell site simulators are commonly used in two ways: to collect
unique numeric identifiers associated with phones in a given location, or to ascertain the location of a
phone when the officers know the numbers associated with it but don’t know precisely where it is.
Both of these uses raise privacy concerns. Collecting unique identifiers of all phones in a particular
location inherently collects location data on many innocent people. And using a cell site simulator to
ascertain the location of a specific cell phone can reveal that it is in a constitutionally protected place,
such as a home, that has traditionally been immune from search unless law enforcement agents
obtain a warrant based on probable cause. Press reports and court opinions have revealed that
Florida law
enforcement agencies use cell site simulators in criminal investigations. 2 For example, the Miami-
Dade Police Department purchased a cell site simulator as early as 2006, and the Tallahassee Police
Department has been using cell site simulators provided to it on loan by an unnamed company—
likely Harris Corporation—since at least 2008. 3 The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has
1
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u s e o f c e l l s i t e s i m u l a t o r s .
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s i m u l a t o r s .
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t h e n u m b e r o f t h o s e i n v e s t i g a t i o n s t h a t h a v e r e s u l t e d i n p r o s e c u t i o n s .
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s e a l e d , p l e a s e p r o v i d e t h e d a t e a n d d o c k e t n u m b e r f o r e a c h s e a l e d d o c u m e n t .
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b e t t e r f a c i l i t a t e t h e p r o d u c t i o n o f t h e p u b l i c r e c o r d s . I N F O R M A T I O N A B O U T T H E R E Q U E S T A s
r e q u i r e d b y l a w , p l e a s e a c k n o w l e d g e t h a t y o u h a v e r e c e i v e d t h i s p u b l i c r e c o r d s r e q u e s t a n d p r o v i d e
a n e s t i m a t e d t i m e f r a m e i n w h i c h y o u b e l i e v e t h a t y o u w i l l b e a b l e t o p r o d u c e t h e r e q u e s t e d r e c o r d s .
S e e � 1 1 9 . 0 7 ( 1 ) ( c ) , F l a . S t a t . ( A c u s t o d i a n o f p u b l i c r e c o r d s a n d h i s o r h e r d e s i g n e e m u s t
a c k n o w l e d g e r e q u e s t s t o i n s p e c t o r c o p y r e c o r d s p r o m p t l y a n d r e s p o n d t o s u c h r e q u e s t s i n g o o d
f a i t h . ) . C O P W A T C H i s a n o n - p r o f i t o r g a n i z a t i o n a n d t h e d i s c l o s u r e o f t h e r e q u e s t e d r e c o r d s w i l l
p r o m o t e p u b l i c a w a r e n e s s a n d k n o w l e d g e o f g o v e r n m e n t a l a c t i o n s i n o r d e r t o e n s u r e t h a t
g o v e r n m e n t a l o f f i c i a l s a n d a g e n c i e s r e m a i n a c c o u n t a b l e t o t h e p e o p l e . F o r s b e r g v . H o u s . A u t h . o f
C i t y o f M i a m i B e a c h , 4 5 5 S o . 2 d 3 7 3 , 3 7 8 ( F l a . 1 9 8 4 ) ( O v e r t o n , J . , c o n c u r r i n g i n r e s u l t ) . T h e r e f o r e ,
w e r e q u e s t t h a t y o u p r o d u c e t h e r e q u e s t e d r e c o r d s f r e e o f c h a r g e . H o w e v e r , i f y o u a r e u n a b l e t o d o
2
so, COPWATCH PLEASE LET US KNOW reasonable costs associated with fulfilling this request, if
your office has a policy of requiring the payment of a copying charge for such records. The fees and
costs you may charge are governed by Section 119.07(4), Florida Statutes. please contact me with
an estimate of the likely cost before proceeding. If you are unable or refuse to provide part or all of
the requested public records, please explain in writing and with particularity the reasons for not
providing the requested public information in its entirety, as required by Section 119.07(1), Florida
Statutes. If any exemption that you assert applies to only a portion of the records (as opposed to the
entire record), please redact the portion you claim is exempt, provide copies of the remainder of the
record or records, and detail your reasons for the modification as required by Section 119.07(1),
Florida Statutes. We request that you produce responsive materials in their entirety, including all
attachments, appendices, enclosures, and/or exhibits. To the extent that a response to this request
would require you to provide multiple copies of identical material, the request is limited so that only
one copy of the identical material is requested.
If any of the requested records are maintained in a common-format electronic medium, please
provide these records in such native electronic medium and not in paper form. For purposes of this
request, common electronic formats include (1) American Standard Code for Information Interchange
("ASCII"), (2) files formatted in one of the Microsoft Office Suite, Corel Suite, or OpenOffice Suite
(.doc, .xls, .ppt, .mdb, .wpd, etc.), (3) a text file (.txt), or (4) hypertext markup language (.html) or
similar web page language. This is the preferred format. However, if any of the requested records are
only maintained or only can be produced as electronic images, for example a portable document
format (.pdf), (n.b., it is possible to print documents into a PDF format either using Acrobat
Professional or a free PDF driver like pdf995.com), then as an alternative, we request this electronic
image format. See § 119.01(2), Fla. Stat.
Section 119.07(1)(h—i), Florida Statutes, prohibits the destruction of any of the requested records,
including any which you may claim are exempt, for a period after the date on which you receive this
written request. If we institute a civil action to enforce the Public Records Law with respect to the
requested records, you may not dispose of the records except by court order after notice to all
affected parties.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this request. If you have any questions, wish to obtain further
information about the nature of the records in which we are interested, or need more information in
order to expedite this request, please do not hesitate to contact me
ON •
3
TOWN OF GULF STREAM
PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA
Delivered via e-mail
April 26, 2019
[Mail to: copwatcher@yahoo.com]
Re: GS #2707 (Cell Site Simulators)
I am writing on behalf of COPWATCH to seek records regarding use of cell site simulators by
the POLICE AND SHERIFFS. Cell site simulators, also called IMSI catchers (in reference to
the unique identifier—or international mobile subscriber identity—of wireless devices),
impersonate a wireless service provider’s cell tower, prompting cell phones and other wireless
devices to communicate with them. These devices are often called “Stingrays,” after the leading
model produced by the Melbourne, Florida-based Harris Corporation. 1 Cell site simulators are
commonly used in two ways: to collect unique numeric identifiers associated with phones in a
given location, or to ascertain the location of a phone when the officers know the numbers
associated with it but don’t know precisely where it is. Both of these uses raise privacy concerns.
Collecting unique identifiers of all phones in a particular location inherently collects location
data on many innocent people. And using a cell site simulator to ascertain the location of a
specific cell phone can reveal that it is in a constitutionally protected place, such as a home, that
has traditionally been immune from search unless law enforcement agents obtain a warrant
based on probable cause. Press reports and court opinions have revealed that Florida law
enforcement agencies use cell site simulators in criminal investigations. 2 For example, the
Miami-Dade Police Department purchased a cell site simulator as early as 2006, and the
Tallahassee Police Department has been using cell site simulators provided to it on loan by an
unnamed company—likely Harris Corporation—since at least 2008. 3 The Florida Department
of Law Enforcement has “spent more than $3 million buying a fleet of Stingrays” that it makes
available to local police departments in the state. 4 Despite widespread public interest in the
use and abuse of cell site simulators, the public lacks information about the PLLICE AND
SHERIFFS policies and practices. Information is needed so the public can determine whether
the POLICE AND SHERIFF use of cell site simulators complies with the Fourth Amendment to
the U.S. Constitution and with Florida law. PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST In light of the
foregoing and pursuant to the Florida Public Records Law, Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, and
Article 1, Section 24 of the Florida Constitution, COPWATCH hereby requests records relating
to POLICE AND SHERIFFS use of cell site simulators 5 as detailed below:
1. Records regarding POLICE AND SHERIFFs acquisition of cell site simulators, including
invoices, purchase orders, contracts, loan agreements, solicitation letters, correspondence with
companies providing the devices, and similar documents. In furtherance of this request, please
produce records of all contracts, agreements, and communications with Harris Corporation.
2. Records regarding any offer, arrangement, or agreement with the Florida Department of Law
Enforcement (“FDLE”), Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), or any corporation to borrow
or use cell site simulators owned or possessed by the FDLE, FBI, or corporation.
3. All nondisclosure agreements with Harris Corporation, Boeing Corporation (DRT), other
companies, and any state or federal agencies regarding the POLICE AND SHERIFF possession
and use of cell site simulators.
4. Records regarding policies and guidelines governing use of cell site simulators, including
restrictions on when, where, how, and against whom they may be used, limitations on retention
and use of collected data, guidance on when a warrant or other legal process must be obtained,
and rules governing when the existence and use of cell site simulators may be revealed to the
public, criminal defendants, or judges.
5. Records regarding any communications or agreements with wireless service providers
(including AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint Nextel, and U.S. Cellular) concerning use of cell
site simulators.
6. Records regarding any communications, licenses, waivers, or agreements with the Federal
Communications Commission or Florida Public Service Commission concerning use of cell site
simulators.
7. Records reflecting the number of investigations in which cell site simulators have been used,
and the number of those investigations that have resulted in prosecutions.
8. Records reflecting a list of all criminal cases, with docket numbers if available, in which law
enforcement officers used a cell site simulator as part of the underlying investigation.
9. All applications submitted to state or federal courts for search warrants or orders authorizing
use of cell site simulators in criminal investigations, as well as any warrants or orders, denials
of warrants or orders, and returns of warrants associated with those applications. If any
responsive records are sealed, please provide the date and docket number for each sealed
document.
10. All records regarding the use of cell site simulators in closed investigations.
We welcome the opportunity to answer any questions you might have about this request in order
to better facilitate the production of the public records. INFORMATION ABOUT THE
REQUEST As required by law, please acknowledge that you have received this public records
request and provide an estimated timeframe in which you believe that you will be able to
produce the requested records. See § 119.07(1)(c), Fla. Stat. (“A custodian of public records
and his or her designee must acknowledge requests to inspect or copy records promptly and
respond to such requests in good faith.”).COPWATCH is a non-profit organization and the
disclosure of the requested records will “promote public awareness and knowledge of
governmental actions in order to ensure that governmental officials and agencies remain
accountable to the people.” Forsberg v. Hous. Auth. of City of Miami Beach, 455 So. 2d 373,
378 (Fla. 1984) (Overton, J., concurring in result). Therefore, we request that you produce the
requested records free of charge. However, if you are unable to do so, COPWATCH PLEASE
LET US KNOW reasonable costs associated with fulfilling this request, if your office has a policy
of requiring the payment of a copying charge for such records. The fees and costs you may
charge are governed by Section 119.07(4), Florida Statutes. please contact me with an estimate
of the likely cost before proceeding. If you are unable or refuse to provide part or all of the
requested public records, please explain in writing and with particularity the reasons for not
providing the requested public information in its entirety, as required by Section 119.07(1),
Florida Statutes. If any exemption that you assert applies to only a portion of the records (as
opposed to the entire record), please redact the portion you claim is exempt, provide copies of
the remainder of the record or records, and detail your reasons for the modification as required
by Section 119.07(1), Florida Statutes. We request that you produce responsive materials in
their entirety, including all attachments, appendices, enclosures, and/or exhibits. To the extent
that a response to this request would require you to provide multiple copies of identical material,
the request is limited so that only one copy of the identical material is requested.
If any of the requested records are maintained in a common-format electronic medium, please
provide these records in such native electronic medium and not in paper form. For purposes of
this request, common electronic formats include (1) American Standard Code for Information
Interchange ("ASCII"), (2) files formatted in one of the Microsoft Office Suite, Corel Suite, or
OpenOffice Suite (.doc, .xls, .ppt, .mdb, .wpd, etc.), (3) a text file (.txt), or (4) hypertext markup
language (.html) or similar web page language. This is the preferred format. However, if any of
the requested records are only maintained or only can be produced as electronic images, for
example a portable document format (.pdf), (n.b., it is possible to print documents into a PDF
format either using Acrobat Professional or a free PDF driver like pdf995.com), then as an
alternative, we request this electronic image format. See § 119.01(2), Fla. Stat.
Section 119.07(1)(h—i), Florida Statutes, prohibits the destruction of any of the requested
records, including any which you may claim are exempt, for a period after the date on which you
receive this written request. If we institute a civil action to enforce the Public Records Law with
respect to the requested records, you may not dispose of the records except by court order after
notice to all affected parties.
To Whom It May Concern [Mail to: copwatcher@yahoo.com]:
The Town of Gulf Stream has received your public records request dated April 23, 2019. The
original public records request can be found at the following link:
http://www2.gulf-stream.org/weblink/0/doc/123662/Page1.aspx
Please be advised that the Town of Gulf Stream and its Police Department does not own, borrow
or use cell site simulators. Therefore, there are no records responsive to your request. We consider
this request closed.
Sincerely,
Reneé Rowan Basel
As requested by Rita Taylor
Town Clerk, Custodian of the Records