Information is crucial to governing bodies and their citizens, and no city knows that more than Chicago. As Mayor Rahm Emanuel enters the second year of his term, information-seekers are raising questions about the city’s willingness to be transparent. These questions date back to former Mayor Richard M. Daley’s reign, and they don’t seem to be disappearing any time soon.
Several of the latest controversies can be traced back to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Some Chicago publications are having an increasingly difficult time getting information from the city. According to a Nov. 8, 2011 Chicago Tribune article, the newspaper fought with the city for a year over the release of police staffing records. The court eventually forced the police department to hand over the information, but only after a taxing process.
The article also stated that the tedium in Chicago’s system is unmatched in other metropolitan cities. In cities like Boston and Phoenix, pertinent public information is easily accessed on the cities’ websites.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA) 101
The Freedom of Information Act was implemented for citizens, journalists or not, to obtain information from governing bodies that is generally undisclosed. These records can be anything from payroll information and arrests to documents on a national level. There are nine exemptions from this, according to the FOIA website, but the information must be provided if it isn’t an exception.
To make a request, one first needs to contact the agency or department of interest. A lot of the time, there will be someone in the department who deals specifically with FOIAs. From there, give them as much information as possible on what’s desired. More detail ensures accurate documentation.
While I was writing this article, I heard a lot about Chicago’s supposedly tedious FOIA process, and I decided to look into it personally. I didn’t request as a media affiliate because I wanted to see how they treated a regular citizen. I emailed the Chicago Police Department on Feb. 8, but it was late in the afternoon, so the documented day of request was Feb. 9. I outlined my request and waited.
The next day, I received a phone call from CPD. They said I wasn’t specific enough in my request, which I will attest to. I gave them more specific information, but that wasn’t the end of it. They gave me reasons for why the information I requested is difficult to obtain because of police beat boundaries. It might be murky, they added. I said I understood. They asked me if I had considered talking to campus police. Apparently, the information I asked for is reported to them if it’s pertinent to campus. I said I wasn’t interested. Eventually, we reached an agreement, and they said they would get the information to me as soon as they could.
According to Chicago Tribune reporter David Kidwell, this is a direct result of Illinois law. He said that there are three exemptions public officials can use against providing information: Invasion of privacy, expressing opinions or formulating public policy, and if one requests more than ten documents, it’s viewed as burdensome for the official.
“Essentially, there is no such thing as a public record in the state,” Kidwell said.
Kidwell has written several articles for the Tribune detailing transparency issues in Emanuel’s administration, including the aforementioned article. He argued that journalists must ensure that politicians follow through with their promises, and he said Emanuel promised Chicagoans a new kind of transparency.
“I guess you could argue that it is because he doesn’t have very far to go,” he said. “He has made things more