The Atlanta Police Foundation released nearly 300 pages of records after a lawsuit alleging violations of Georgia's open records law by the foundation. The outcome serves as a guidance for obtaining records from police foundations to ensure transparency. Judge Jane Barwick ruled that the foundation had a duty to provide records under the Open Records Act. Observers indicate that this ruling could influence police foundations nationwide, which number over 250, and are commonly used to fund surveillance technologies without public oversight.
The foundation has sent plaintiffs nearly 300 pages of records linked to its role as the driving force behind the police training center known as Cop City.
A city can't use police foundations as a way of getting around providing public records, Scott added.
Although the case centered on the Atlanta police foundation, observers said last year they were closely watching to see if its outcome had implications for police foundations in general.
Every major US city has a private foundation supporting police, with more than 250 nationwide, according to a 2021 report by research and activist groups Little Sis and Color of Change.
#police-transparency #open-records-law #police-foundations #atlanta-police-foundation #surveillance-technology
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