City braces for a deluge of ‘G-file’ requests

After accepting the news that APD’s secret personnel file is illegally secret, City Manager T.C. Broadnax is getting ready for an onslaught of public information requests. A Sept. 12 memo outlines the city’s efforts in responding to such requests and lays out a strategy for dealing with the public’s thirst for perfectly legal knowledge. Broadnax explains that they will be increasing staff and upgrading data technology in an effort to respond efficiently. “As we work through the existing requests that seek records of APD officers, we are taking the opportunity to set up processes to systematically maintain and update the data to make it easily accessible for future requests. The requests for information on all officers will take longer than normal to complete. We will explore ways to expedite release, including releasing the information in phases,” he wrote. “The requests for records of individual officers will follow the normal review process. The specific timing for release will depend on the size of the requested file and any needed redactions based on the type of request. All requestors will receive an estimated time for release.”