Medford PD Hits Back Against Lack Of Transparency Claims

MEDFORD, MA – The Medford Police Department is responding to claims from Boston-based news site MuckRock that it failed to respond to public records requests, sometimes for years. A story published Oct. 17 by MuckRock claimed it had 10 pending public records requests as of June 2018.

Records Officer Diane Riley, who has been with the department for close to two years, told the Medford Transcript she has responded to what she is "allowed to answer."

According to MuckRock, the site had been following up with the MPD every few months but started trying "in earnest" to get responses at the start of the summer. The site placed multiple calls to the department, it claimed, and was told the requests were being worked on.

"Given that some requests had been pending for years and the MPD had sent no written communications confirming its assurances, those claims were unsubstantiated," MuckRock wrote. The site said it sent a representative to the department in July, and then sought help from the Supervisor of Public Records in the Secretary of State's office.

MuckRock received responses to five requests two days later.

Records Officer Diane Riley told the Transcript MuckRock sent its requests to a fax machine "not anywhere near the records department," which was not staffed for more than a year. She also said the site's requests were unclear, and she has responded to the requests she personally received.

Since Jan. 1, 2017, police departments have been required to have a records access officer to handle public records requests. A response must be given within 10 business days.

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