“Glomar” rejections, as they are known, are mostly issued by federal agencies like the CIA on requests about black ops programs or operations gone wrong, and they have a tight legal scope. Those infamous words, “we can neither confirm nor deny,” are only supposed to come out when national security is at risk, or if someone’s name appearing or not appearing in a law enforcement document would have a ruinous effect on that person’s life or character.
Although Glomar abuse is becoming increasingly common at the federal level, it’s slowly working its way to state agencies, setting a disastrous precedent. If any departments hit you with an unwarranted Glomar denial, let MuckRock know at info@muckrock.com.