Public Sector Town Hall: Navigating Problematic Public Records Requests

Schools, municipalities, and law enforcement agencies are increasingly tasked with evaluating broad or unclear records requests against statutory transparency obligations and limited staff resources. Recent trends including requests drafted using artificial intelligence, requests that lack insight into operational efficiencies of your organization, and requests without sufficient scope or clarity are emergent problems for records custodians. Likewise, the types of information sought through records requests presents ever-growing challenges—from expansive requests for cell phone-based information to requests bordering on detailed analysis of data.

This Town Hall will focus on managing public records requests with a particular focus on navigating these timely and evolving challenges facing public entities. Our panelists will discuss these challenges and provide practical strategies for narrowing and managing expansive requests while maintaining compliance. They will also address emerging areas generating increased scrutiny, including cell phone and GPS records, records related to data centers, and law enforcement safety program records.