POL Article 6 § 87 : Freedom of Information Requests

Introduction to FOIL

The Division of State Police fully supports the citizens of New York State in their right to know how their government works (Public Officers Law, Article 6). To uphold this principle the Division authorizes its Records Access Officer, Central Records Bureau to receive, process, and respond to each and every request for records as described in Article 6, commonly known as the Freedom of Information Law (1974). For more information about the FOI Law visit the Committee on Open Government website hosted by the New York State Department of State: http://www.dos.ny.gov/coog/

The Division of State Police is also mandated by New York State Executive Law to prevent crime, detect crime, and apprehend criminals (Section 223, Executive Law). Protecting the citizens of New York State is the statutory mission of the State Police. To fulfill this mission, the State Police must uphold the right of privacy for each law-abiding citizen (Public Officers Law, Article 6 §87).

The Division will release any and all records in complete compliance with the authority and limitations dictated in the Public Officers Law Article 6. If some information in a record is exempt from disclosure, the Division will not withhold the entire record but will provide a redacted copy of the record. The scrutiny involved in protecting identities and on-going investigations while releasing information creates an extensive process. Often reports regarding lengthy criminal investigations may not be ready at the time of request.

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