Extra! Extra! Read all about it! RNC After Action Reports!!

2016 was a huge year in security especially in light of our recent presidential elections. The election is always a big security event but unlike previous elections, the last few years have seen the country becoming seemingly more divided and somewhat consumed with protest activities. Additionally, cities that hosted political conventions had to have significant mitigation measures in place. A piece of public records information I'm always very curious about are the after-action reports of cities who have to host these events.

A fellow MuckRock user, Melissa Hill requested the after action reports from from several law enforcement agencies. She's gotten quite a few and I suspect others are forthcoming. I'll post more as they become available and I sift through the chaff.

Ohio Highway Patrol

Wisconsin State Patrol



Florida Highway Patrol After Action Report


City of Cleveland's Information Releases to the Public and Media

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yvf9u065b0xl9x5/AADTRM_rG7IftykXfOYdT7zHa?dl=0

NOTE: I decided to add this, even though it's not an AAR. Still worth a look to get a scope of the various organizations which supported the security mission at the convention.

DoD-NORTHCOM Defense Support of Civil Authorities Republican National Convention 2016 Presentation

UPDATE: New FOIA Requests Are Updated!!!

Sooo, I'm kind of back on my Freedom of Information Act "grind". This time, I've grown curious about how Reedy Creek Improvement District aka Disney World interacts with law enforcement. I've heard various reports that most law enforcement-related dispatches are relayed through Florida Highway Patrol and Orange County. I'm less curious about shoplifting dispatches (I'm surely, mostly klepto-tourists seeking crimes of opportunity) and more curious about the more serious incidents that either go reported in the media or that don't.

Here are snippets of the new requests so far:

Title of Request	Agency	Date Submitted
FHP Emergency Dispatches	FHP	11/19/2016
Orange County Emergency Dispatches	Orange County Sheriff’s Office	11/19/2016
Disney LEA Mutual Aid	Reedy Creek Improvement District	11/19/2016

I'll keep you posted should something more concrete develop. The plan is to write a piece on what I find in the FOIA documents to give more a robust picture of Disney's security via publicly available information. If anything, I'm sure there will be a number of interesting data points to be discussed in the replies.

As always, the best place to keep up-to-date on any FOIA requests I do is here or the link above. Also, Muckrock is an AWESOME place to discover not just my requests but other people's as well. If you see anything noteworthy in my requests, please feel free to reach me via the "Contact Me" link above.

Guess Who Is In The Freedom Of Information Act Business

Folks, I don't claim to be a journalist, though I give unsolicited advice to them on Twitter. I know I shouldn't. I'm supposed to be in my lane. However, I do recognize when they go about using the law to get official documents about things the government likes to keep secret. I respect this so much that I began doing the same a while back through MuckRock.com. MuckRock is a Freedom of Information Act request clearinghouse where journalists, bloggers, and fellow netizens use FOIA to gain access to documents. I do this mainly to educate myself on physical security issues. I've decided to begin sharing my requests and those of others I find worth following.

Here are a few of my pending requests:

• Customs Billing Invoices & Activities Documents - 02/19/2014
• Department of the Interior Security Docs - 02/20/2014
• Threats Against Jesse Jackson - 05/22/2013

Here are a few of the requests where I was successful in getting information:

• ACCESS: Automated Comparison and Clustering of Entity Signatures - 05/22/2013
• Equipment Issued to Department of Education OIG - 08/06/2013
• MRAP Sales  - 05/13/2013

You can sign up for an account at MuckRock and submit your own FOIA requests through them. The only caveat is whatever you find or get from the government, MuckRock will publish on their site. So exercise due caution with phone numbers, SSN information, etc. Also, as you will learn, if it's a really good secret, the government will fight you "tooth and nail". Luckily, MuckRock has a pretty good team that will work with you. Also, don't worry about staying on top of the government with requests, MuckRock has a nag feature wherein they bug the government almost bi-weekly with respect to your requests. These folks are great at what they do.

You can use MuckRock via the link below

http://www.muckrock.com

Or you can do your own requests via the official US government FOIA requests. Just be aware, your state and local jurisdictions have their own sites as well. Try them for a more localized search. 

http://www.foia.gov

I will continue to post more documents and updates regarding what I find. Stay tuned.