ACLU of Hawaii frequently requests records from government agencies.  Below, you can find some of the requests we've made in the past, along with the government's responses.  We intend to update this page regularly as we make requests and receive the government's responses.
**Notice to organizations/individuals requesting fee waivers: be sure to review this letter from the Office of Information Practices regarding fee waivers in the public interest.**
To get information for the Federal Government, use a Freedom of Information Act Request. http://www.foia.gov/
A good backgrounder and resource on what agency might have the information you are looking for can be found here: https://foiamapper.com/
March 2017: Open Records Request to Hawai‘i Office of Elections and all four counties for records pertaining to government practices in purging voters from Hawai‘i's voter rolls:

February 2017: Freedom of Information Act ("FOIA") request to U.S. Customs and Border protection ("CBP") concerning CBP’s understanding and implementation of President Trump's Executive Order on immigration and refugees at various airports and port of entry offices in Hawai‘i.

May 2016: Open Records Request ("ORR") to Kauai ("KPD"), Honolulu ("HPD"), and Maui County ("MPD") Police Departments seeking records related to policies, procedures, memoranda, emails, and the like regarding the implementation and/or use of body-worn cameras and/or dashboard cameras by police officers.

December 2015: Request to City & County of Honolulu for documents related to the Governor’s October 16 and 26 Emergency Proclamations on homelessness

July 2015: Request to City & County of Honolulu Office of Housing for homeless shelter vacancy data

December 2014: Request to City and County of Honolulu for Department of Facility Maintenance activities in Kakaako in November 2014

December 2014: Request to Honolulu Police Department for Concealed Carry Firearm Permit application form

June 2014: Request to Office of Hawaiian Affairs for documents relating to the Opt-Out procedure for names included on the list maintained by the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission

May 2014: Request to Honolulu Police Department for policies and procedures related to the use of Automatic License Plate Readers

Request to Hawaii Department of Public Safety for reports or records aggregating, collecting, or otherwise providing information on the population incarcerated at the Maui Community Correctional Center from January 1, 2013 to the present.

June 2013:  Request to State Department of Accounting and General Services regarding permitting requirements for use of State property

June 2013:  Request to Honolulu Police Department regarding criminal charges of obstructing the sidewalk in Waikiki

March 2013: Request to Honolulu Police Department and Department of Public Safety regarding Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams

November 2012: Request to Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) for records relating to the Constitutional Amendment that appeared on the 2012 Hawaii ballot relating to Dam and Reservoir Safety

October 2012: Request to Department of Public Safety, Narcotics Enforcement Division, for all forms used in the administration of Hawaii's Medical Marijuana Program

June 2012: Request to Hawaii State Department of Health ("DOH") for documents related to the process to correct the sex designation on birth certificates.

June 2012: Request to Baldwin High School ("BHS") for records related to the construction of any baseball or football facility and the budget of, expenditures of, and/or funds available to the Athletic Director,  including funds raised through private donations of any kind.

June 2012: Request to county police departments and Hawaii State Department of Transportation for records related to the use, storage, and retention of data obtained through the use of Automated License Plate Recognition technology.

March 2012:  Request to Honolulu Police Department for enforcement records on trespass/parks violations and "Bill 54" (Stored Property).  The ACLU's original request, from March 5, 2012, is available here; the Request was modified by a series of conversations with HPD, and the amendments are incorporated into the document available here.

  • Records produced by HPD:
  1. Part 1
  2. Part 2
  3. Part 3
  4. Part 4
  5. Part 5
  6. Part 6
  7. Part 7
  8. Part 8
  9. Part 9

March 2012:  Request to City & County of Honolulu's Department of Facility Maintenance for enforcement records on "Bill 54" (Stored Property):

  • Records produced by DFM:
  1. Removal Notices #1-25
  2. Removal Notices #26-50
  3. Removal Notices #51-74
  4. Removal Notices #76-99
  5. Removal Notices #100-124
  6. Removal Notices #125-149
  7. Removal Notices #150-174
  8. Removal Notices # 175-199
  9. Removal Notices #200-224
  10. Removal Notices #225-249
  11. Removal Notices #250-284
  12. Removal Notices #311-324
  13. Removal Notices #325-349
  14. Removal Notices #350-375
  15. Removal Notices #808-830
  16. Storage & Disposal Notices #1-25
  17. Storage & Disposal Notices #51-76
  18. Storage & Disposal Notices #111-130
  19. Storage & Disposal Notices #186-192
  20. Storage & Disposal Notices #260-276
  21. Storage & Disposal Notices #360-362

January 2012:  Request to Mayor Carlisle regarding Mayor's Social Media Policies

January 2012: Request to Honolulu Police Department regarding HPD's Social Media Policies

January 2012: Request to Department of Public Safety regarding medical/compassionate release of prisoners

January 2012:  Request to Mayor Carlisle regarding Mayor's 2011 and 2012 Prayer Breakfast

September 2011: Request to HPD regarding their acquisition of "less lethal" weapons in anticipation of APEC

August 2011: Request to law enforcement agencies relating to their acquisition of cell phone location records

July 2011: Request to Department of Education regarding sex education

July 2011: Request to Counties regarding administrative rules to amend the sex designation on driver's licenses

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Documents