Massachusetts Public Records Law allows Campus Police ten (10) business days to respond to records requests. Requests can be made in-person, via first class mail, or electronically (email). For complex requests, this initial response may be a fee estimate only, with another 15 business days after payment allotted to provide records. We shall respond to any record request by either first class mail or email. To assist you in your request, please identify the record, category of records, or portion of records you wish to obtain. Although a request can be made verbally, in-person, or electronically, it is preferable to make a request in writing to reduce confusion. A written request (PDF) for information is required to file an appeal with the Supervisor of Records.
Fitchburg State University Records Release
Communications and Public Affairs
The Office of Marketing and Integrated Communications is a source of news and information about Fitchburg State University. Director of Communications and Public Affairs Matthew Bruun is the media contact for Fitchburg State and produces press releases on university events as well as articles for the University's publications. He is also the primary records access officer for purposes of the state’s public records law. Contact Matthew Bruun at mbruun@fitchburgstate.edu or 978.665.4694, or send mail to:
Director of Communications and Public Affairs
Fitchburg State University
160 Pearl St.
Fitchburg, MA, 01420
University Police's Record Access Officers
The following persons has been designated as the Records Access Officers (RAOs) for the Fitchburg State University Police Department pursuant to the Public Records Law. All Public Records requests should be directed to these individuals, using the contact information provided below. Public Records requests may be made in-person or via telephone, mail, or email.
Office Hours: Monday through Friday 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- Detective Sergeant Richard Nelson: Rnelson4@fitchburgstate.edu
- Lieutenant Phillip Karampatsos: Pkarampa@fitchburgstate.edu
- UPD's Main number: 978.665.3111
- Mailing Address: 160 Pearl St, Fitchburg, MA 01420
Fitchburg State University Police Records Release Policy
In accordance with Massachusetts Public Record Laws, the Fitchburg State University Police Department will only release records that are in our possession, custody or control. Records may not be immediately available but can be provided within the 10 business days allotted by law. All requests are subject to approval by the Chief of Police We release records considered public under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 4 § 7, while applying exemptions allowed by law to protect personal privacy and public safety. Your request may be denied or some information may be redacted.
Exempted material may include, but not be limited to:
- Those records or portion thereof exempted from disclosure by statute
- Records related solely to internal personnel rules and practices of the government unit
- Personnel, medical files or information, material or data relating to a specifically named individual where disclosure may constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy
- Inter-agency or intra-agency memoranda or letters relating to policy positions being developed by the agency
- Notebooks and other materials prepared by an employee of the commonwealth which are personal to the employee and not maintained as part of the files of the governmental unit
- Investigatory materials necessarily compiled out of the public view by law enforcement or other investigatory officials, the disclosure of which would probably so prejudice the possibility of effective law enforcement that such disclosure would not be in the public interest
- The names and addresses of any persons contained in, or referred to in, any applications for any licenses to carry or possess firearms issued pursuant to chapter one hundred and forty
- Any firearms identification cards issued pursuant to said chapter one hundred and forty
- The names and addresses on sales or transfers of any firearms, rifles, shotguns, or machine guns or ammunition therefore, as defined in said chapter one hundred and forty and the names and addresses on said licenses or cards
- Records, including, but not limited to:
- Blueprints
- Plans
- Policies
- Procedures and schematic drawings, which relate to internal layout and structural elements
- Security measures
- Emergency preparedness
- Threat or vulnerability assessments
- Any other records relating to the security or safety of persons or buildings, structures, facilities, utilities, transportation, cyber security or other infrastructure located within the commonwealth, the disclosure of which, in the reasonable judgment of the record custodian, subject to review by the supervisor of public records under subsection (c) of section 10 of chapter 66, is likely to jeopardize public safety or cyber security
- The home address, personal email address and home telephone number of the following, provided that the information may be disclosed to an employee organization under chapter 150E, a nonprofit organization for retired public employees under chapter 180, or a criminal justice agency as defined in section 167 of chapter 6:
- An employee of the judicial branch
- An unelected employee of the general court
- An agency, executive office, department, board, commission, bureau, division or authority of the commonwealth, a political subdivision thereof, or an authority established by the general court to serve a public purpose, in the custody of a government agency which maintains records identifying persons as falling within those categories
- The name, home address, personal email address and home telephone number of a family member of a commonwealth employee, contained in a record in the custody of a government agency which maintains records identifying persons as falling within the categories listed above
- Information and records acquired under chapter 18C by the office of the child advocate
- Information protected under the Family Education Right to Privacy Act, also known as F.E.R.P.A.
- Information dealing with Sexual Assaults and Domestic Violence
Right to Appeal
Massachusetts General Law Chapter 66 § 10A provides any member of the public who requested public records and was denied said record a right to appeal if the request was made in writing to the department. Petition can be made in writing to the Supervisor of Records for a determination as to whether a violation has occurred. The Supervisor of Records shall issue a written determination regarding any petition submitted in accordance with this section not later than 10 business days following receipt of the petition by the Supervisor of Records. Upon a determination by the Supervisor of Records that a violation has occurred, the Supervisor of Records shall order timely and appropriate relief. A requestor, aggrieved by an order issued by the Supervisor of Records or upon the failure of the Supervisor of Records to issue a timely determination, may obtain judicial review only through an action in superior court seeking relief in the nature of certiorari under section 4 of chapter 249 and as prescribed in subsection (d).
Police Reports and Logs
Log Entries
The majority of our calls for service do not generate a written report, but are simply an entry in our logs. Our daily logs are public information (with legal exemptions). Single, public log entries (for example, "The noise complaint at 8PM last night in the Townhouses”) or all public log entries within a contiguous, reasonable time span (for example, "Last Monday between 10AM and 4PM"), may be reviewed at FSUPD during normal business hours free of charge by coming to the station and requesting to view them, or on our website. Please allow our staff time to run a computer search and print the logs. Any logs we make immediately available for public review remain in the station at all times
Complex requests for multiple entries are subject to the ten day work time allotted by Mass. Public Records Law. Examples of complex requests for multiple entries are as follows:
- Entries occurring at different dates and times
- A request for all entries pertaining to specific individuals or incidents
- All entries for a particular address
- Any other requests requiring extensive search, legal review/redaction, etc.
Fitchburg State University's Public Logs and Clery Crime and Fire Logs are available for viewing at the University Police Station, 32 Clinton Street, Fitchburg.
Incident, Arrest, and Accident Reports
Major incidents, reportable accidents, and all arrests generate a written report, which may be requested from FSUPD. Requests may take up to 10 business days to process All requests are subject to approval by the Chief of Police If approved, the report you receive may have some information redacted (see Records Release Policy, above).
To assist us in providing your requested record, we ask that you use the following Public Record Request Form. Thank you.