Bethel

 

 

City/Town Clerk

Police

School Board

Full compliance

 

 

 

Viewed  with improper restrictions, according to FOIA

 

 

 

Not in compliance

X

X

X

 

Town Clerk:

The requestor spoke to a young woman who said that the only way she would be able to show the requestor anything would be for her to come in with a request for specific names. She was not willing to copy everything, and she said that in order to block out the social security numbers the requestor would have to tell her which one she wanted to see.

 

 

Police Department:

An older police officer said he wasn’t sure what the requestor was asking for. She was asked for a reason for her request. He then said that everything is on the computer anyway, so there was nothing that she could just look over. When she asked if she could see the computer files, he said, “Not unless you break in.”

 

 

Superintendent’s Office:

The requestor was sent to 4 different people before she spoke to the personnel officer. The officer said that she was not allowed to give the requestor what she wanted, and the woman who was in charge was not there. The requestor was asked for identification and a reason for her request and was told she would need to come back “some other time.”


 

 

Bridgeport

 

 

City/Town Clerk

Police

School Board

Full compliance

 

 

 

Viewed  with improper restrictions, according to FOIA

 

 

 

Not in compliance

X

X

X

 

Town Clerk:

The requestor was asked for a reason for his request. He spoke with the Computer Input Personnel, a receptionist, who said that the marriage license applications were not public records. The receptionist would not black out the social security numbers and would only search a specific social security number

 

 

Police Department:

The requestor was asked for identification, a reason for the request and to submit a formal request. There was a sign on the wall of the police department that listed the different forms of I.D. that were required to obtain records. The requestor said that a driver’s license was on the list but that the receptionist would not accept a his driver’s license when he tried to use it to obtain the records. When the requestor said that he would rather not provide identification, the receptionist responded with “Well I would rather not give you what you need.The receptionist maintained that he must speak with the sergeant who was unavailable.

 

 

Superintendent’s Office:

The requestor was asked for identification and a reason for his request, and was asked to submit a formal request with a specific reason for the request. He spoke with a receptionist then was referred to the Executive Director of Human Resources. She said she was “unable to release the records without a specific reason and identification.”


 

Brookfield

 

 

City/Town Clerk

Police

School Board

Full compliance

 

X

 

Viewed  with improper restrictions, according to FOIA

 

 

 

Not in compliance

X

 

X

 

Town Clerk:

The requestor spoke to a woman at the front desk of the clerk’s office.  She allowed him to see a blank document, but when he again told her he wanted to see the applications from the current and preceding months she would not allow it.  She stressed the effort it would take her to photo copy and black out the social security numbers.

 

 

Police Department:

The requestor spoke to the officers at the front desk.  He was told that they did not have an arrest log that he could view,  but he could view press releases.  They were cooperative in allowing him to see the information they had.

 

 

Superintendent’s Office:

The requestor spoke to the superintendent’s secretary.  When he asked to see the records, she immediately asked for a reason.  When the requestor told her he would rather not say, she crossed her arms and glared at him, saying that she would not even think about giving them to him unless she knew why.  Another nearby secretary said that if the requestor put the request in writing and sent it in, then maybe it would be possible.


 

 

Danbury

 

 

City/Town Clerk

Police

School Board

Full compliance

 

X

 

Viewed  with improper restrictions, according to FOIA

 

 

 

Not in compliance

X

 

X

 

Town Clerk:

The requestor spoke to a woman at the clerk’s office who was somewhat uncooperative.  He was told straight out that he could not view applications.  The requestor asked again, emphasizing that the social security numbers should be blacked out and again was denied.  She gave him the number to call the town clerk directly as she did not seem to understand whether or not she could hand this information out.

 

 

Police Department:

The requestor spoke to an officer.  The requestor was allowed to view the arrest book, but he had to look at it through a glass window while the officer flipped the pages.  He asked the requestor a number of times if he was looking for someone specific and the requestor told him he just needed to look through it.

 

 

Superintendent’s Office:

The requestor spoke to a woman at the front desk of the superintendent’s office.  She would not allow him to view anything.  When he asked to see the attendance records, she laughed at him and asked why he thought he would be able to view them.  She said that maybe if the requestor put the request in writing and their lawyers allowed it, then he could maybe view the records.  But she said this wasn’t information she could just hand out.


 

Darien

 

 

 

City/Town Clerk

Police

School Board

Full compliance

 

X

 

Viewed  with improper restrictions, according to FOIA

X

 

 

Not in compliance

 

 

X

 

Town Clerk:

The requestor spoke to two receptionists.  One gave him an odd look when he asked for the information.  She then asked who he was and why he wanted to see them.  When he wouldn’t say she went and spoke with the other receptionist briefly.  Eventually she came back with copies of the record for the requestor to look at with the social security numbers blacked out.

 

 

Police Department:

The requestor spoke with the officer who was at the front desk when he walked in.  He made the request, and the officer had no problem with the requestor looking at the records.  The officer did ask the requestor what he wanted it for ,after it was handed to him.

 

 

Superintendent’s Office:

The requestor spoke to the receptionist behind the desk in the office.  At first he was told flat out “no.”  After the requestor pressed the issue, the receptionist asked whom he was and what his reason was for wanting the information.  When the requestor wouldn’t say, she said he could come back with a written request for the superintendent.  The superintendent was not there at the time.

 


Easton

 

 

City/Town Clerk

Police

School Board

Full compliance

 

 

X

Viewed  with improper restrictions, according to FOIA

 

 

 

Not in compliance

X

X

 

 

Town Clerk:

The requestor spoke to younger woman secretary. She said the applications were in the book and she couldn’t alter the records in the book to black out the Social Security numbers. The requestor asked her if she could simply cover the numbers; she said no. An older woman asked if the requestor was with “a particular organization.The requestor said she would rather not say, then the older woman said they don’t show people applications.

 

 

Police Department:

The requestor asked a mid-20’s officer behind the window if she could see the arrest records. He said he couldn’t show her the records. The requestor asked again if he was sure he couldn’t show her the records; he repeated he could not.

 

 

Superintendent’s Office:

The requestor spoke to a receptionist. She went to get someone to help. She returned about three minutes later and asked the requestor to return later in the day because the office was about to close for lunch. The requestor returned two days later and the receptionist had copies of the records for her.

 


Fairfield

 

 

City/Town Clerk

Police

School Board

Full compliance

 

X

 

Viewed  with improper restrictions, according to FOIA

 

 

 

Not in compliance

X

 

X

 

Town Clerk:

The requestor spoke with a receptionist who said that the marriage license applications were not public records and that she would not black out the social security numbers. The receptionist told the requestor, “The state has deemed that they were not public records even without social security numbers.”

 

 

Police Department:

The requestor was initially going to be charged for the records, but eventually he was not after he explained again that he only wished to view the records, not keep them. The receptionist was helpful and cooperative.

 

 

Superintendent’s Office:

The requestor was asked for identification. He spoke with a receptionist, then was referred to a supervisor who was unavailable at the time. He was told by the receptionist that she “cannot release the records without the supervisor’s permission.”


 

Greenwich

 

 

City/Town Clerk

Police

School Board

Full compliance

X

 

 

Viewed  with improper restrictions, according to FOIA

 

 

 

Not in compliance

 

X

X

 

Town Clerk:

The requester spoke to a receptionist at the marriage license department at the town clerk’s office. When the requestor asked for the records, the receptionist paused and asked me to repeat myself. The receptionist said for the 13 years she has worked here, no one had ever asked that question. The receptionist also said, “It would take a while to get the records ready and that [the requestor] should come back after she blacked out the Social Security numbers at 11 a.m.The requester was asked if she was from the area. The receptionist then offered her card if the requestor needed information in the future. The requestor was allowed to view the records.

 

 

Police Department:

The requester spoke with a receptionist at the records department and the Lieutenant of Public Information at the police department. When she asked for the records, the receptionist said she did not know if she could give that out. So, she contacted the Lieutenant who told the requestor to identify herself and asked her reason for wanting the records. Then the requestor was told to write a letter under FOI for the weeks needed. The requester was also asked if she worked for a newspaper.

 

 

Superintendent’s Office:

The requester spoke with a Human Resources receptionist and a receptionist for the superintendent of schools at the superintendent’s office. At first, she was directed to the super’s office by the Human Resources receptionist who did not know what she wanted at that point. The requestor noted: “She was pleasant at first.When she got to the superintendent’s office, a receptionist in the area redirected her to either Town Hall or back to Human Resources, saying “she would not have the information.The Human Resources lady’s demeanor changed when asked for the records. She said, “She was not authorized to give out the information and that the Human Resource person who could was not there.The requestor was then asked what she wanted the records for and if she was a teacher.

 


 

Monroe

 

 

City/Town Clerk

Police

School Board

Full compliance

 

 

 

Viewed  with improper restrictions, according to FOIA

 

 

 

Not in compliance

X

X

X

 

Town Clerk:

The town clerk refused the request on the grounds that it would take too long to make all the copies and black out the social security numbers.  She said it would be easier if the requestor told them why he needed them.

 

 

Police Department:

The secretary for the records division at the police department said that they didn’t have an arrest record that the requestor could look at and that it was all computerized.  He spoke with the department’s police information officer, who offered to let him view the incident report log on which arrests were noted.  However, the incident report did not include names, addresses, and charges against those arrested.

 

 

Superintendent’s Office:

The secretary initially denied the request, but then asked the superintendent if the request could be allowed.  The superintendent said he could provide the requestor with the requested documents, but it would take 24 to 48 hours because the secretary would need to manually black out the reason for absence on all the documents.  The superintendent also asked the requestor his name, but was fine with the requestor saying he would prefer not to identify himself.


 

 

New Canaan

 

 

 

City/Town Clerk

Police

School Board

Full compliance

X

 

X

Viewed  with improper restrictions, according to FOIA

 

 

 

Not in compliance

 

X

 

 

Town Clerk:

At the town clerk, everything went smoothly. The requestor forgot to ask to black out the social security numbers. She said that he could look at the marriage application licenses but she had to black out the social security numbers. The requestor apologized and she showed him as many licenses as he wanted. 

 

 

Police Department:

At the police office the requestor was directed to the records department where he asked for the arrest log. They said that there wasn’t a separate record for arrest, and everything he needed was in the log book right in front of me. The log book didn’t show whether or not people were arrested in any of the incidents. When the requestor asked again if there was a separate arrest log she said that everything he needed was in the book.

 

 

Superintendent’s Office:

At the superintendent office, a woman asked for the requestor’s name and wanted to call him tomorrow when the records would be ready. She told him that it was also an unusual question to ask. The requestor convinced her to let him come back in an hour. When he came back she seemed to realize that she made a mistake. She apologized and said she misunderstood the question. She said that she thought the requestor wanted to copy them and explained that her boss was gone and things were hectic and said that, “In today’s world, the climate is tense.’ She gave the requestor the records to look at. She also gave him a copy of the FOI act and explained what he was asking for and why he could have it, as if he didn’t know.

 


 

New Fairfield

 

 

City/Town Clerk

Police

School Board

Full compliance

 

 

 

Viewed  with improper restrictions, according to FOIA

 

X

 

Not in compliance

X

 

X

 

Town Clerk:

The requestor was asked for a reason for his request and to make a written request. He spoke with the assistant town clerk and also the town clerk. The assistant clerk said she didn’t know if she could give that out, so she brought out the town clerk.  They repeatedly asked if the requestor wanted a specific name.  She told the requestor “You can make a written request and we could get it to you within a week.”  He asked if she could just show him the sheet and cover the numbers.  “We don’t have the manpower to do that,” she said. Meanwhile, four workers sat around with no one else in the office asking for help. 

 

Police Department:

The requestor was asked for identification and for a reason for his request. He spoke to the dispatcher; there was also a man with a shaved head and a woman in the office. They asked the requestor several times “Were you arrested? Why do you want to see these? Who are you? Why are you here? Were you arrested? Who is your officer? What do you need to see specifically? Oh, yeah, were you arrested?”  They told him that Only the arresting officer can let you see your  specific file, and the files are actually held by the court and they’re the only ones who can release it.  They asked if the requestor wanted to see an officer. He said yes.  The requestor waited for about 20 minutes.  Finally an officer came out, asked what he wanted to see, asked if he had a reason, and came back with the arrest book.  He asked if the requestor wanted to see one in particular, he told him no, he just wanted to look at the whole thing.  He said “Usually people have a reason.”  The requestor took the book (labeled “News Releases”) which had arrest records going back to the beginning of the year, plus accident reports and other releases and looked it over, then gave it back.

 

Superintendent’s Office:

The requestor was asked for identification and to give a reason for his request. He spoke to three different women at human resources, who he noted as “completely uncooperative.He was told “They are not public record,” was asked, “Are you a student, a teache