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WPRO News and the Associated Press
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – An audit of compliance with Rhode Island’s amended public records laws found various agencies and departments in violation and called enforcement “weak or nonexistent.”
The audit was done by ACCESS/RI, a coalition of nonprofits and First Amendment advocates, and MuckRock, a news site that promotes government transparency through public records access.
The audit released Thursday found that dozens of agencies violated the response window of 10 business days when asked for documents, including arrest reports and employee contracts.
Twenty of 39 police departments failed to provide basic arrest information within 48 hours, the timeframe required under a 2012 revision of the state’s Access to Public Records Act.
ACCESS/RI President Linda Levin attributes the violations to a “culture of indifference” or even “outright hostility” to the public’s right to the information.
