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Newport News Police Department - Administrative Manual
ADM-160 - PRIVACY/DISSEMINATION
OF INFORMATION
Amends/Supersedes: ADM-160 (09/14/2017) Date of Issue: 12/11/2019
I. GENERAL [82.1.1(a,c)]
A. All requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act (Chapter 37, title 2.2 of the
Code of Virginia) will be forwarded, to and handled by, the Records Unit Commander, or
designee, and shall be handled in a manner consistent with the procedures set forth within this
policy. Information will be released only during the normal working hours of the Records Unit.
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) does not apply to releasing information to criminal
justice agencies.
1. FOIA Requests do not have to be identified as such by the requestor, and can include any
request for a public record by a citizen of the Commonwealth, whether verbal, written,
or otherwise.
2. Media requests and inquiries will be handled by the Public Information Office. The
Records Unit Commander will be copied on any written response. (See also: "OPS-520
Media Relations & Public Information".)
B. The Records Unit Commander, or designee, is responsible for logging all FOIA requests and
determining to whom, and/or where, to forward the request for completion. Department
employees who receive an information request from a citizen will direct the individual to the
Records Unit, or will provide the citizen’s contact information to the Records Unit.
C. In accordance with §2.2-3704B of the Code of Virginia, information requested shall be
released to the person(s) making the request within five working days of the Police
Department’s receipt of the initial request. If the request cannot be completed within this
timeframe, the Police Department shall notify the requestor in writing that additional time will
be needed to fulfill the request. The Police Department will have an additional seven working
days to complete the request.
NOTE: Certain information is protected by law from being released under FOIA guidelines and
relevant sections of the Code of Virginia. If the Police Department, with the assistance of the
City Attorney, determines that the information requested shall not be released, either in whole
or in part, the requestor shall be notified. This notification of refusal to release the information
will be made in writing by the Police Department within the time specified in Section II. C,
above, and shall specify the code section under which the exemption is being claimed.
D. Suspect information (i.e., name, address, date of birth, pending charges) shall not be released
as part of any information request (this does not include requests from investigating officers or
the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office).
NOTE: Information regarding adult arrestees is not covered under FOIA and must be released
upon request.
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