Greensboro records requests policy recommendations

7/28/2019 Greensboro records requests policy recommendations

1/18

City of Greensboro Public Record

Is the City addressing the real problems?


2/18

What's broken?

Slow response times.

Records denied and delayed arbitrarily and

unlawfully. Descriptions provided instead of records.

Misrepresentations made of records.

Requests closed before completion.

Management hostile towards transparency.


3/18

Slow response times

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

5.29

8.42

Average Response Time in Days

2011

2012

Days


4/18

Slow for media, slower for citizens.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Records Request Response Times 2012

Citizens

Media

City Goal

Days


5/18

Records denied or delayedarbitrarily and unlawfully

Mr. Holder,

We are still in the process of compiling and reviewing all documentation anddetails associated with the Heritage House inspections and code violations

follow-up. We will provide you with additional informationwhen our work is complete and we are satisfied that it isaccurate.

- Jim Westmoreland, Deputy City ManagerApril 5, 2013


6/18


Mr. Holder,

Police department assistance was requested by the US Marshalls Office, intheir attempt to locate a fugitive. We assisted them as we would any law

enforcement agency requesting assistance. If you would like moredetails than that, you will need to contact the US MarshallsOffice here in Greensboro.

- Ken Miller, Chief of PoliceFebruary 14, 2013


7/18


In response to a records request, the City Attorney's Office would like to knowhow long it would take your department to gather video and audio recordingsby an City surveillance camera, taken on July 23, 2012 from 11:30 am to11:35 am. This request would be for all locations (fixed or mobile) that your

department is responsible for.This does not mean to startgathering recordings, we only want to ascertain the timeand employee resources it would take to comply with thisrequest.

- Jennifer Smith-Stuphin, entry to PIRT #1944

September 1, 2012


8/18

Descriptions provided instead ofrecords


9/18

Descriptions provided instead ofrecords


10/18

Misrepresentation of records

As represented:

Good evening,

Here is the response that I received from the Police Chief and also from the Officer who supervisesLankford who provides our security for facilities:

The City hires Lankford to provide security to facilities, which includes monitoring City cameras inthe video room. GPD cannot access these cameras from the cars and Police does not yet havea command center, so Lankford would be the Citys eyes/ears on the cameras.

- Mary Vigue, Assistant to the City ManagerMarch 14, 2013


11/18

Misrepresentation of records

As actually written (edited portions in color):

The City hires Lankford to provide security to facilities, which includes monitoring City cameras inthe video room. It is cheaper than hiring police officers for the same task and doesn't require thetraining or authority that police officers require. While I have not seen the document that theCity sent to Roch, I suspect it reflects this monitoring activity, which is why he only sees securityaccess. I am not aware thatGPD can access these cameras from the cars andwe do not yethave a command center, so Lankford would be our eyes/ears on the cameras.

I think a meeting with Roch may help him understand things a little better. We have no conspiracygoing on anything, but the PIRT process is not a very good way to address his concerns on thisor the DNA issue. I do not expect him to agree with our position on things, but it may help

reduce the constant barrage of PIRTs from him.

- Ken Miller, Chief of PoliceMarch 2, 2013


12/18

Requests closed arbitrarily

Holder had received no records and nonotification that his request had been closed.

Only after a citizen brought the status of this

request to his attention and he called tocomplain were records provided.


13/18

Recommendations for PIRT system

Make PIRT available online in real time.

Record all activity in PIRT system includingnotes of oral conversations.

Make all records released available for publicdownload on City's FTP server.

Note all instances of records withheld in PIRT

with name of staff withholding the records andthe reasons for withholding.

PIRT closed only by requester.


14/18

PIRT already accessible by HTTP


15/18

Let customers close PIRTS

A modern ticketing system:


16/18

Let customers rate staffperformance

A modern rating system:


17/18

Recommendations for recordsadministrator

Someone with a degree in library andinformation sciences, not a PR background.

Autonomy to search electronic recordsindependent of IT department.

Give administrator autonomy to respond torequests independent of prior approval from

City Manager, Legal or Police departments.

Permit requester to go straight to city staff.


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Establish an appeal process

Provide a formal process whereby responsesdeemed inadequate by requester may beappealed to a City Council-appointed committeeor to Council itself.

Documents

Greensboro records requests policy recommendations