Public Information Act (Open Records)

Baylor University is not subject to the Texas Public Information Act because it is not a “government body” as defined by the Texas Government Code. During the 84th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature, Senate Bill 308 was passed that states in part: “A campus police department of a private institution of higher education is a law enforcement agency and a governmental body for purposes of Chapter 552, Government Code, only with respect to information relating solely to law enforcement activities”.

The Baylor Police Department complies with the Texas Public Information Act by making available those records related solely to law enforcement activities. The Baylor Police Department is not required to and will not release any record not related to law enforcement activities.

Before submitting a request for a police report, please be aware that a criminal incident report is not considered public information and will not normally be released unless the case was closed by conviction (someone was arrested, convicted and received jail/prison time and/or deferred adjudication and/or a fine).

If the criminal case was not closed by conviction and you submit an Open Records request for the entire report, your request will likely be forwarded to the Texas Attorney General's Office for a ruling as to whether or not we can release the full report.

Procedure:

The Baylor Police Department is the repository of all records related to law enforcement activities and is responsible for responding to all open records requests. The BUPD Office is open Monday- Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.,with the exception of the holiday schedule below. The office will also be closed during any closure of the campus due to weather or other emergencies.

Holiday Schedule:

2022

New Years Day-January 3rd

Martin Luther King Day- January  17th  

Easter- April 15th and 18th 

Memorial Day- May 30th 

Juneteenth- June 20th 

Independence Day- July 4th 

Labor Day-September 5th 

Thanksgiving- November 23th-25th

Christmas Break- December 23th-30th and January 3rd 

Public Information Requests must be made to the Baylor Police Department. Requests must be in writing and can be submitted using any of the methods listed below:

In Person*

Lynnette Koehler
Baylor University Police Department
1521 South 4th Street
Waco, Texas 76706

By Mail*

Public Information Act
c/o Lynnette Koehler
Baylor University Police Department
1521 South 4th Street
Waco, Texas 76706

By Fax*

(254) 710-3473
Attention: Lynnette Koehler

By Email*

openrecords@baylor.edu

*To expedite your request please consider using the Baylor University Police Department Public Information Request Form.    

What Your Request Should Include

All requests must be in writing and should include the following information:

1. Your name
2. Mailing address or Email address (so we can send you a response)
3.  Your phone number (so we can contact you with questions about how to respond to your request)
4.  A list or description of the specific information you are interested in obtaining, preferably with dates. Try to be as specific as possible about the information you are seeking and please remember it must relate solely to law enforcement activities. This will assist us in expediting your request.             
5.  If requesting body camera footage, the following information is required per Section 1701.661 of the Texas Occupations Code, for body-camera recordings.  If the information is not provided, we will not be able to produce the body camera recordings:
   
   • Date & Approximate Time Of Offense
   • Specific Location Of Offense
   • Names Of One Or More Persons Known To Be A Subject of the Recording
    
6. Using the Baylor University Police Department Public Information Request Form will help us process your request.

The Response to Your Request

The Police Department will review all written requests for public information and respond as promptly as possible. In response to a request, the Police Department may:

1) Inform the requestor that the information cannot be immediately provided and set a date and time to provide it within a reasonable time;

2) Request a ruling from the Office of the Attorney General regarding any information that the Baylor Police Department has a question about whether the information comes within the terms of, or is exempt from, the Public Information Act, and send a copy of the request for ruling, or a redacted copy, to the requestor. Please be aware that The Public Information Act provides several exemptions for law enforcement records. These exemptions can be reviewed in the Attorney General's 2016 Public Information Act Handbook;

3) Segregate public information from information that may be withheld and provide that public information promptly.

Charges/Fees

There may be charges associated with the production of the requested information. You will be contacted prior to the process and/or release if there is a charge associated.

How to Find Additional Information About the Act

For more information about the Act, you may wish to refer to the 2014 Public Information Act Handbook published by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas (“OAG”) or the OAG's Texas Public Information Act poster. (For poster in Spanish, click here.)