Shining a light on FOIA practices

From Project On Government Oversight (POGO):

In celebration of Sunshine Week, a number of organizations released Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reviews. These reviews, conducted by National Security Archives, the Center for Effective Government, Cause of Action, Associated Press, and OpenTheGovernment.org, indicate how agencies measure up when it comes to providing the public with information.

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Sunshine Week, Clery Act promote public information access

From The Daily Reveille:

Last week was Sunshine Week, a week created by the American Society of News Editors to promote access to public information for private citizens, according to the Sunshine Week website.

One initiative of the week is to make sure campus police publish an annual security report, have a public crime log and issue timely warnings in instances of emergency, according to the Clery Act.

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Only one law enforcement agency fully complies with public records request

From Port City Daily:

One week after Port City Daily sent public records requests to five municipal law enforcement agencies, only one agency fully complied with the public records request.

On Friday, March 8, Port City Daily sent a public records request to Wilmington, Leland, Wrightsville Beach, Surf City and Carolina Beach police departments.

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Pensions, lawsuits, gifts revealed on new city hall site for Sunshine Week

From KPBS:

Marking Sunshine Week in San Diego, Mayor Bob Filner on Thursday unveiled a new section of the city website that makes good on his promise for open government—putting in one place information on the pensions being paid city retirees as well as all lawsuits involving City Hall.

With his open-government chief Donna Frye standing beside him, he displayed what Frye called one of the most transparent city sites in the state, if not the nation.

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Celebrating International Sunshine Week In Oakland with more open government (community voices)

From Oakland Local:

This past week was “International Sunshine Week,” a national initiative dedicated to educating the American public about the importance of open and accessible government.

Here in Oakland, we have done a lot in recent days to advance the cause of open local government, so we too had much to celebrate last week.

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Government records are public domain

From AberdeenNews.com:

Look at City Attorney Adam Altman’s desk, which has stacks of folders and documents pertaining to every city department, and you likely could ask to see any of it instantly.

“The only stuff that’s tough is the stuff that takes time to assemble,” he said.

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