New London ― The police department is embarking on a $50,000 upgrade to its public records system, an overhaul the police chief said would increase efficiency and allow an agency frequently inundated with records’ requests to better serve the public.

In any given year, the department receives roughly 1,200 Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, requests from residents, reporters, law firms, prosecutors and victim advocates, Chief Brian Wright said.

“It’s a heavy load, especially with an antiquated system like ours which requires us to do the work by hand,” Wright said Monday. “Depending on the request, it could go to our records department or to my administrative staff – so you’re starting out with complications.”

The City Council on Monday approved a request from city Accounting Purchasing Agent Joshua Montague to enter into a three-year agreement with the Colorado-based Granicus company. The firm will install FOIA software aimed at streamlining the “reporting process, increase efficiency and expedite the time to produce the requested information.”

Under the terms of the multi-year agreement, the city will pay $13,500 for a new GovQA software subscription with another $14,445 due in the second year of the contract and $15,456 in year three. An additional 15% in funding was approved by the council for any overruns for data storage or unexpected costs.

In a June 7 memo, Wright wrote FOIA requests to the department, which he said average four or five a day, have spiked in recent years due to a “multitude of legislative, technological and sociological factors.”

“These requests range from simple police reports to highly complex combinations of reports, body camera footage, radio transmissions and 911 telephone conversations,” he wrote.

Wright on Monday said the department’s response time to a public records request can vary widely depending on the nature of the demands, which can range from written reports to officer body-camera or cruiser video footage, all which may require various levels of redaction.

“Even a run-of the mill request can involve multiple police reports,” he said. “And we’re working with limited staff that only have so many hours to dedicate to the work. Our goal is to have a quicker turnaround and provide an increased level of service to residents without duplicating our efforts.”

Part of the 2020 Police Accountability Act required all Connecticut police officers and patrol cars to be equipped with video recording equipment. Footage captured through those systems are generally subject to an FOIA request and can be released to the public, except under specific circumstances involving minors, informants, or individuals undergoing medical treatment.

Granicus is slated to install a GovQA software package at the department allowing for the triage of requests based on who, such as a judge, attorney or resident, is asking for the information. The system allows an agency to redact documents and selected portions of audio and video footage.

The software, which Wright said is customizable, will send out automatic progress messages to requesters notifying them when a request is received and completed. The system will monitor the number of requests, as well as how much time was spent satisfying the request, according to city memo documents.

Requesters will be able to make payments on the portal prior to receiving a digital copy of the documents.

Currently, anyone looking to file an FOIA request with the department must submit a completed report form which is accessible on the department’s website to the records division. The department, like all agencies subject to public records laws, must acknowledge the request within four days.

Russell Blair, director or education and communications for the Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission, said on Tuesday he’s familiar with the GovQA software.

“It’s use is not particularly widespread in Connecticut; it’s used more right now at the state level, like for instance at the (state) Department of Public Health,” he said. “But we are seeing an increased interest in the technology by municipalities.”

Blair said the software’s biggest selling point is as an organizational tool that better allows an agency to accept and keep track of FOIA requests.

“These are requests that come in by mail, by email or in person and can be difficult to keep track of,” he said. “The software can allow a department to quickly check and see that they might have, say, 150 outstanding requests.”

Blair said the software, while a promising streamlining tool, is still reliant on human resources. He said the agencies availing themselves of the software will still be responsible for deciding if a request is rejected and providing the reason for that decision.

“It’s not going to solve all a department’s problems as you’ll still need the people and resources behind it,” he said.

j.penney@theday.com