Florida Highway Patrol – Palatka, Florida
The FOGWatch Roadshow was extended to include South Florida. Originally our in-person-audit of public agencies was intended to include various agencies between Lakeland and Jacksonville. The results of that trip were so interesting we decided to extend the audit to include agencies between Jacksonville and Miami. I’ll be posting more details about the Roadshow in the next few days.
We found some outstanding examples of folks who obviously believe in open government and who take seriously their obligations under Florida’s Public Records Act. I’ll be specific about some of the most outstanding agencies.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of state and local agencies egregiously violated the law. I’ll be very specific about some of the worst violators in upcoming blog posts. It’s obvious that there still a lot of work to be done.
You didn’t hear this from me, but try requesting a copy of a 911 CD from North Port. They require the request to be made in writing then give themselves up to 10 days to fill it. I know this because I used to supervise there. When I told them they are violating the law, I was told “we” aren’t changing it and it’s fine the way it is. Their Records Section has an entirely new staff now as well, whic is an interesting story in itself. So I would imagine you could request just about anything from there right now and it will be redacted wrong. Just sayin. Keep up the good work! It’s people like you who keep public servants on their toes.
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PS- My last email was just a heads up to you and not meant to go on the wall of your site. If you need any help with the work you are doing, just let me know.
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So looking forward to seeing your report! The whole thing is government should want to be transparent. Sadly when someone wants to ensure they are being transparent, they want to play games. Keep up the GREAT work!