Mayor Kate Gallego wants the Phoenix Police Department to process public records requests faster.
Gallego raised the subject during a regularly scheduled update on public safety reforms at the Phoenix City Council’s policy session on Tuesday.
“Two weeks ago, my office met with someone who was told she would have to wait six years for body-worn camera footage related to the death of her daughter,” Gallego said
Gallego also said the city made an effort in 2023 to cut into a large pile of requests.
“It’s just really disappointing. Over the last 18 months the request backlog has gone up by 64% and now stands at nearly 40,000 records,” Gallego said.
Police Chief Matt Giordano said the number of public records requests spiked last year and is on a similar pace this year. Many are commercial requests stemming from traffic accidents.
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