FOI Request Reflection

I requested a list of all of the militarized equipment that Fort Worth possesses. Both the Fort Worth Police Department and the City of Fort Worth replied saying that the city has no record of possessing any militarized equipment. I became interested in this topic during the aftermath of Michael Brown's death in Ferguson last August.
To double check this information, I looked at The Marshall Project's article "The Pentagon Finally Details its Weapons-for-Cops Giveaway." It contains a section listing all of the counties in the country that received equipment and Tarrant County was not listed.
The FOI request project was a helpful way to learn how to request and FOI but also to know what to do if the information requested does not exist. I had to communicate with two different departments and clarify my request. I was surprised to learn how cooperative both departments were with getting back to me in a timely manner. It definitely mades me more confident to make future requests.

Fort Worth Police Department

On Nov. 3, the Fort Worth Police Department confirmed that they do not have any militarized equipment. Previously, the City of Fort Worth emailed me saying they do not possess any of these types of equipment either. This FOIA request has confirmed that there is noHere is the email received from the police department: 

Fort Worth requests clarification of request

On October 31, I received an email from the public information coordinator for the City of Fort Worth. She asked me to clarify my request. Here is her email:

I responded that I am looking for any surplus military equipment that the city possesses. My request was then forwarded to both the equipment services and police departments. I received a response later that day from the director of equipment services regarding motorized vehicles. He explained that most of the vehicles they buy are brand new, except for a few that are used and purchased from a dealership. It is not clarified if these vehicles can be considered militarized or not. Here is his email:

FOIA Request

Today I submitted my open records request to the City of Fort Worth, Texas. The request consisted of making an online account and filling out a brief form. Under the section asking which department I am requesting from, I answered with the option "I don't know." I then elaborated on my request, writing, "I am requesting a list of all of the militarized equipment that Fort Worth possesses. I want to know what kind of equipment the city retains, and how long it has had said equipment."
After submitting the request, I received an automated confirmation email from the public information coordinator. It also provided me with a link to track the progress of my request.

Here is the email I received from the City of Fort Worth:

FOI Project Topic

For my Freedom of Information Project, I will be requesting a list of all of the militarized equipment that Fort Worth possesses. I will submit my open records request to the City of Fort Worth. I am interested in this topic in the aftermath of the Ferguson shooting and riots. I want to know what kind of equipment the city retains, and how prepared it is for the premise of any kind of outbreak.