Chicagoans likely want to know what the Chicago Office of Emergency Management & Communications (OEMC) was up to during the mass protests at the end of May, and beginning of June 2020.

I am in the process of finding out for you!

#Chicago #ChicagoProtests #ChicagoScanner

Here's what I'm doing:

I have asked OEMC for event queries from May 30th and 31st 2020 from 9AM to 11:59PM for Citywide-6, and have also asked for the Citywide-6 PDT messages for those same two dates and times

I am formulating FOIA requests for other information as well

The tricky thing about doing FOIAs with OEMC is that they complain about being easily overwhelmed and overburdened.

OEMC has painted a picture with words that they may only have one FOIA officer to handle thousands of searches & responsive material reviews for the entire city

As part of this thread, I want to showcase portions of my most recent FOIA response from OEMC regarding the #ChicagoProtests of late May and early June

This first part is OEMC telling me they found a possible 146 units related to CW6 during a 3 day period, wherein they cry and whine about how much work it's going to cause them to do

Why is each unit generating so many messages? What does this say about the efficiency of communications between CPD units and any given zone dispatcher?

How much could there be for a unit and a dispatcher to talk about within the scope of necessity?

Hire more FOIA staff!! The city's personnel problems should NEVER be the problem of a FOIA requester!

Wherein OEMC outlines their process of reviewing, redacting and releasing radio recordings while whining once more about how much work it is, as if that is my fault as the requester

Apparently, OEMC isn't responsible enough to handle their personnel retention issues

These last two select insights OEMC sent me are extremely useful, but also continue to highlight a lack of personnel, along with ongoing personnel retention issues and the willingness to make it the fault or responsibility of the public