NYPD Records Chief Reveals the Secret to FOIL Success: Being Nice
A surprising admission from a former NYC police records chief, Jordan Mazur, is that being nice is key to getting what you want - or in this case, what the public wants - through New York's Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). In his newly self-published guide, "FOIL Made Simple," Mazur advocates for patience, personal relationships, and precision when requesting records from government agencies. But a closer look at the NYPD's handling of FOIL requests paints a different picture.
Mazur himself worked on one of the city's busiest agencies, fielding tens of thousands of requests over eight years. And while he may have found success in his interactions with bureaucrats, transparency advocates say that Mazur's advice - that being polite will get you what you need - glosses over a deeper issue: the NYPD consistently delays or refuses to provide records it wants to keep hidden.
The numbers bear this out. According to an audit by city Comptroller Brad Lander, the NYPD failed to respond to 25% of body-worn camera footage requests within 25 business days, with some cases taking over four years. The department also reversed its decision in FOIL denials a staggering 97% of the time - suggesting that initial decisions may be slow or overly restrictive.
So what's holding back the NYPD? Advocates like Bobby Hodgson, assistant legal director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, say it's not the requesters who need to adapt, but rather the agencies themselves. "I think our experience with that agency is one where they have... been really deficient in the way they respond to FOILs," Hodgson said.
Mazur acknowledges that the NYPD's records unit is overwhelmed - a fact he disputes was ever the case. However, even if there were fewer requests, it seems unlikely that being nice would solve the problem of delayed or denied responses. As Lander pointed out, "The whole purpose of body-worn cameras is transparency... Failing to provide the footage as required by law fundamentally undermines the whole purpose of the program."
It's unclear what Mazur means by his emphasis on building relationships with bureaucrats, but it seems clear that more than a little charm isn't enough. Transparency advocates need concrete action from government agencies - and they're still waiting for it.
A surprising admission from a former NYC police records chief, Jordan Mazur, is that being nice is key to getting what you want - or in this case, what the public wants - through New York's Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). In his newly self-published guide, "FOIL Made Simple," Mazur advocates for patience, personal relationships, and precision when requesting records from government agencies. But a closer look at the NYPD's handling of FOIL requests paints a different picture.
Mazur himself worked on one of the city's busiest agencies, fielding tens of thousands of requests over eight years. And while he may have found success in his interactions with bureaucrats, transparency advocates say that Mazur's advice - that being polite will get you what you need - glosses over a deeper issue: the NYPD consistently delays or refuses to provide records it wants to keep hidden.
The numbers bear this out. According to an audit by city Comptroller Brad Lander, the NYPD failed to respond to 25% of body-worn camera footage requests within 25 business days, with some cases taking over four years. The department also reversed its decision in FOIL denials a staggering 97% of the time - suggesting that initial decisions may be slow or overly restrictive.
So what's holding back the NYPD? Advocates like Bobby Hodgson, assistant legal director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, say it's not the requesters who need to adapt, but rather the agencies themselves. "I think our experience with that agency is one where they have... been really deficient in the way they respond to FOILs," Hodgson said.
Mazur acknowledges that the NYPD's records unit is overwhelmed - a fact he disputes was ever the case. However, even if there were fewer requests, it seems unlikely that being nice would solve the problem of delayed or denied responses. As Lander pointed out, "The whole purpose of body-worn cameras is transparency... Failing to provide the footage as required by law fundamentally undermines the whole purpose of the program."
It's unclear what Mazur means by his emphasis on building relationships with bureaucrats, but it seems clear that more than a little charm isn't enough. Transparency advocates need concrete action from government agencies - and they're still waiting for it.
... no wait, I'm sure it's super important to be polite when dealing with bureaucrats... unless you're a transparency advocate, then it's all about getting what's owed to you, which probably requires a bit more assertiveness than just being friendly 
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. Like, who knew being all chill and polite with bureaucrats could lead to delayed or denied responses? 
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It's like, we get it, there might be some bureaucratic red tape, but that's what laws are for - to make sure we're all treated fairly and equally 
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. Give me concrete action any day! 
. Being nice might get you some responses, but it's not gonna solve the problem of delayed or denied records 
. If they can't keep up with requests, maybe they shouldn't be handling so many sensitive cases? The goal is transparency, not just being polite 
. I mean, if the agency is consistently failing to respond to requests or reversing denials 97% of the time, something needs to change. Being nice just isn't going to cut it in this case 