OPD Fails Public Records Promise, Transparency at Risk

0:00It's April 21st. This is California News Today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with the story. Nearly six years back, Bay Area journalists and activists sued Oakland's police department for ignoring thousands of public records requests. To settle, OPD promised to wipe out its huge backlog, follow California's Public Records Act for quicker releases on everything from toe logs to Officer Miss Conduct Probes and cut a check for $127,500 in legal fees. Fast forward, and that deals falling apart. Attorney Sam Ferguson, who's been watching Close, says OPD's blowing deadlines left and right failing to even acknowledge requests within the required, 10 days plus 14 extra if needed. They're slapping requesters with generic formletters full of the same typos instead of real tailored responses. Folks are fed up, and it's hitting hard on big stories. Take the mom of ex-NFL player Doug Martin, who died in a tussle with officers last October.

1:02Her lawyers waited over four months just to hear of records. Exist. Journalist chasing incident reports and Miss Conduct data are in the same boat, cooling their heels for months with zero word back. Ferguson's latest check on their online portal shows 1,168 open requests. Over 900 past two. OPD pledged specific timelines like 15 days max for crime reports, but they're doubling those estimates and leaving files open for years. Now he's demanding they fix responses immediately and clear the overdue pile in two months, or it's back to court. OPD grabs about request floods hundreds monthly, but they've got nearly 45 records staffers on board now. With police wielding lethal force, transparency ain't optional. It's got a stick or trustees broken. We'll keep eyes on how this shakes out.