Requests for any police records shall be completed by the following procedure:

A. Requirements and Prohibitions  

1. The Warrington Township Police Department, being a “local agency” shall provide public records in accordance with the Pennsylvania Right to Know Law. 
2. Nothing in this procedure will supersede or modify the public or non-public nature of a record or document established in Federal or State law, regulation or judicial  order or decree. 
3. Requests of public records are to be made to the Township Open-Records Officer in writing.   
   
   1. Requests may be made by any person, by mail, by e-mail, by facsimile or any other electronic means. 
   2. Requests should identify or describe the records sought with sufficient specificity to enable this agency to ascertain which records are being requested. 
   3. Requests need not include any explanation of the reason for the request or the intended use of same. 
   4. There will not be any limits on the number of records which may be requested or made available for inspection or duplication. 
4. The time for response by the Open-Records Officer shall not exceed five (5) business days from the date the written request is received by the open-records officer.  If, due to the volume of information being requested or other circumstances, the request cannot be honored in that time frame, the Open-Records Officer shall apply for an extension in accordance with the Right to Know Law. 

B. Access to Records 

1. Open-Records Officer 
   
   1. The Township shall designate an employee as the open records officer who shall receive all requests submitted to the agency under the Right to Know Law. 
2. Upon receiving a request for public record related to the Warrington Township  
   
   1. Police Department, the open records officer shall: 
      1. note the date of receipt on the written request. 
      2. forward the request to the Administrative Lieutenant or his designate who will review the record requested and subsequently report back to that records officer. 
3. Departmental Open-Records Facilitator 
   
   1. The Chief of Police will designate an officer to facilitate the requests for  
   2. police department reports received from the Open-Records Officer.  
   3. The department’s records officer will be responsible to locate and review  the report(s) being requested and evaluate if the request is permitted under the law.  If so, all information exempt from release will be redacted from the report in accordance with Sections 706 and 708 of the Right to Know Law. 
   4. Should, by nature of the information requested, additional time be needed to comply with the request, the open-records officer will be notified of same. 
   5. The redacted copy will be forwarded to the open-records officer for release to  the requester.  If there is no information available, the open-records officer will be advised accordingly.   
   6. A file of the requests for information, and information provided, will be retained by the Administrative Lieutenant. 
4. Postings of Information 
   
   1. The Warrington Township Police Department will post a notice as required by the Right to Know Law which will include the following information: 
      1. Contact information for the open-records officer. 
      2. Contact information for the Office of Open Records or other applicable appeals officer. 
      3. A form which may be used to file a request. 
      4. Regulations, policies and procedures of the agency relating to this act. 
   2. At such time the Warrington Township Police Department has a website, the  above posting information will be available on same. 
   3. The Warrington Township website will post the required information on its website: www.warringtontownship.org  
5. Responsibility 
   
   1. It is the responsibility of the Warrington Township Police Department to make available the reports/records requested. Redaction will be based on the exemptions provided for in the Act. 
   2. It shall be the responsibility of the designated Open-Records Officer to administer the regulations and requirements found in Act 3 of 2008.  All appeals and questions should be addressed to that office. 

Schedule of Fees

Paper copies will be .25 per page per side. If mailing is requested, the cost of postage will be charges. If a disk is requested, it will be provided by the Township at a cost of $10.00 per disk. A new disk will be necessary each time records are provided. Fax copies will be available at the cost of .25 per page. If “True and Correct Certification” is requested, an additional charge of $2.00 will be added. Photocopies of Plans/Drawings are $6.00 per sheet. The Township will require prepayment if the total fees are estimated to exceed $100.00. Response The Township will make a good faith effort to provide the requested public records as promptly as feasible. Township.

Non-reportable crashes are $5 each and Reportable are $15

Contact Information for the Township’s Open Records Officer:

Warrington Township Administrative Offices

Attn:  Open Records Officer

852 Easton Road

Warrington,  PA  18976

righttoknow@warringtontownship.org

Contact Information for Open Record Appeals:

Bucks County District Attorney's Office

Attn: Open Records Appeal Officer

100 North Main Street, 2nd Floor 

Doylestown, Pa 18901

Phone #: 215-348-6344

 

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Office of Open Records

Commonwealth Keystone Building

400 North Street, 4th floor

Harrisburg, Pa 17120 

Phone # 717-425-5343