Little Sheriff's Corvette
A car as copaganda
Below is an essay about a Corvette and one of my favorite topics: copaganda. The essay is part critique and part FOIA explainer. Stay to the end to learn about what I requested and how you can do the same. Maybe you can uncover the dumb things your police department is wasting its time on.
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Emails and photos obtained in a records request show the resources the Riverside County Sheriff's Department dedicated to a photoshoot for Corvette Magazine. The images accompanied a write-up about a deputy-owned Corvette custom-made to resemble one of their patrol cars. To go all in on the cop car look, it's outfitted with working red and blue lights and a siren.
Last year's photoshoot included staging a cops-and-robbers scenario with a faux arrest as well as another with a shot of their $7.72 million helicopter hovering behind it. The good news is that records also revealed taxpayers are off the hook from funding the car itself. It's instead covered by the car's owner, Deputy Carlos Alemar.
The Riverside County Sheriff's Department, with the blessing of pseudo-cowboy Sheriff Chad Bianco, saw the magazine feature as an opportunity to self-promote beyond recruiting and community events throughout the county.
Police departments are fixated on their public image. Their legitimacy depends on the public's perception of them to uphold the institution of policing. It's largely why media relations divisions exist in every department. They're tasked with handling a type of public relations that's exclusive to cops: copaganda.
Simply, police departments use copaganda in the media to convince the public that they're necessary to keep them safe and to highlight the dangers they face in upholding public safety.
It's not unusual for police departments to use cars as part of their copaganda campaigns–from the Irvine Police Department's Tesla Cybertruck to departments using autism awareness wraps on patrol cars while lacking self-awareness of the dangers they pose to people with autism.
Well-crafted press releases try to convey the cars as an altruistic effort to connect with the public. "See, we care about the environment by buying electric cars!" or in the case of the Riverside County Sheriff's department, the car "bridges the gap between law enforcement and youth."
However, decals and Cybertrucks don't alter the culture of policing or its underlying purpose. Their jobs are less about public safety and more about the use of violence to control, cage, and kill with little oversight or accountability.
If they genuinely cared about the environment, they could ground their helicopters from spewing unleaded fuel over communities at all times of the day. They could've used the taxpayer money spent on a Cybertruck for youth outreach at schools and instead invested it in the students themselves, like expanding youth programs that've proven to keep them out of trouble. At the very least, they could fund schools to the point where teachers no longer have to buy their own school supplies.
They can show they care by doing their job in a way that no longer necessitates good PR. They could stop playing with their Hot Wheels and start spending their time keeping communities safe.
FOIA Corner
Below is a breakdown of how I got the records for the essay above. The goal is to show you what to request and how to think about what you need to ask. Please note that this is only applicable to California, and your mileage may vary in other states. Any questions? Email me!
Fun fact: the department redacted the officers' faces for some reason. You can see who they are by reading the magazine.
What did I know, and what did I need to ask to know more?
A source tipped me off about the photoshoot from the deputy's Instagram account. They recognized the helicopter as the one the department recently purchased. Big question: Is the department using public funds to build, maintain, and showcase a Corvette?
From the video, I gathered that department resources were used, including deputies posing for the photos. That likely means public money was used for the shoot. How much? What did it cost to fly the helicopter? Were the deputies paid for their time?
They used department logos for the wrap. Who approved it? Did the department cover the cost? Are there policies that dictate how their logos can be used for personal projects?
Then there's the Corvette Magazine part, it was unclear if this was commissioned by the department or something the magazine put together. Did the department get paid? Did they pay for the magazine feature?
There were email communications about it, that's a given. I wanted to know what was discussed to learn more about the Corvette and the department's involvement in it. Also, I wanted to see all the photos they may have taken for the article and requested those as well.
From there, I delved into the tagged photos on the deputy's account and discovered social media profiles that also shared pictures and videos of his Corvette. That's where I found the Instagram accounts I used in my request.
What did I request?
I wish to inspect copies of all communications, emails + attachments regarding Corvette Magazine. Include all helicopter flight data including time and costs, purpose of flight, any approvals, and any conversations about using Riverside Sheriffs helicopter for a photoshoot/video/content for Corvette Magazine on May 3, 2024.
Include any documentation, contracts, agreements, or any copy between CORVETTE MAGAZINE and the department.
Also, search for any agreements, contracts, letters, or memos between the agency and anyone regarding the building, use of the logo, or marketing specific to the Corvette. Payments to/from the department between Corvette Magazine. Costs and any forms, documents, or copies of approvals needed to send a deputy to the photoshoot. Any policies regarding using of department logos in promotional activities or advertising.
Please search records from 2023 to 2024 today. Keywords to also search: "NOTAZR1" "Corvette" "Holley LS Fest" "Bisimoto" "TwistedImages 909" "Bisi Ezerioha"
Here is what I got:
(In terms of the money spent on the helicopter, the department shared that it cost nearly $577 to operate it.)
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