NYPD Records Chief's Surprising Advice: Being Nice is Key to Getting Information
The New York Police Department's (NYPD) records chief, Sgt. Jordan Mazur, has written a step-by-step guide for accessing public records through the city's Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). While some advocates say his advice is overly optimistic, others see it as a practical solution to a long-standing problem: getting public records in New York.
Mazur, who spent eight years reviewing requests from the NYPD's records access appeals officer, emphasizes the importance of patience, personal relationships, and precision in obtaining desired documents. His top tip? Being nice. "It's easier to work with people when they're not just a number," he said. "You understand each other."
However, transparency advocates say that Mazur's advice glosses over the deeper issue: the NYPD's repeated delays and denials of records requests, regardless of how polite or well-crafted the request is. The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) has long criticized the department for its slow response times and lack of engagement with requesters.
In reality, the NYPD has received more than 37,000 FOIL requests in 2024 alone, with many taking months to respond. In some cases, it's taken years. The department's records unit is currently overwhelmed, with only 29 employees handling an average of 15,000 requests per year.
Mazur acknowledges that the department has been short-staffed, and requests for more personnel were often denied due to budget constraints and priorities. However, he disputes the notion that requesters need to form a personal relationship with the people processing their requests in order to get information.
"I think our experience with that agency is one where they have, for a very long time, been really deficient in the way they respond to FOILs," said Bobby Hodgson, assistant legal director of the NYCLU. "It's not necessarily the case that people are able to access the folks who are responding to their FOILs in a timely way."
The NYPD has increased staffing in its records office, but advocates say this is just a drop in the bucket compared to the demand for transparency. The department must do more to meet the growing demand for public records, and requesters should continue to advocate for better engagement and response times.
As Mazur's guide suggests, being nice can go a long way in getting what you want from bureaucracy. However, it's clear that more fundamental changes are needed to ensure that New Yorkers have access to the information they deserve.
The New York Police Department's (NYPD) records chief, Sgt. Jordan Mazur, has written a step-by-step guide for accessing public records through the city's Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). While some advocates say his advice is overly optimistic, others see it as a practical solution to a long-standing problem: getting public records in New York.
Mazur, who spent eight years reviewing requests from the NYPD's records access appeals officer, emphasizes the importance of patience, personal relationships, and precision in obtaining desired documents. His top tip? Being nice. "It's easier to work with people when they're not just a number," he said. "You understand each other."
However, transparency advocates say that Mazur's advice glosses over the deeper issue: the NYPD's repeated delays and denials of records requests, regardless of how polite or well-crafted the request is. The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) has long criticized the department for its slow response times and lack of engagement with requesters.
In reality, the NYPD has received more than 37,000 FOIL requests in 2024 alone, with many taking months to respond. In some cases, it's taken years. The department's records unit is currently overwhelmed, with only 29 employees handling an average of 15,000 requests per year.
Mazur acknowledges that the department has been short-staffed, and requests for more personnel were often denied due to budget constraints and priorities. However, he disputes the notion that requesters need to form a personal relationship with the people processing their requests in order to get information.
"I think our experience with that agency is one where they have, for a very long time, been really deficient in the way they respond to FOILs," said Bobby Hodgson, assistant legal director of the NYCLU. "It's not necessarily the case that people are able to access the folks who are responding to their FOILs in a timely way."
The NYPD has increased staffing in its records office, but advocates say this is just a drop in the bucket compared to the demand for transparency. The department must do more to meet the growing demand for public records, and requesters should continue to advocate for better engagement and response times.
As Mazur's guide suggests, being nice can go a long way in getting what you want from bureaucracy. However, it's clear that more fundamental changes are needed to ensure that New Yorkers have access to the information they deserve.
The NYPD needs to do more than just increase staffing, they need to rethink their whole approach to FOIL requests.
. Being nice might help, but it's not a magic solution 
. They need to hire more people and actually prioritize responding to those requests 
. It's all about transparency, you know? We deserve access to that information, and it's not too much to ask 
. I'm glad Mazur is trying to offer some practical advice, but let's be real, he needs to acknowledge the bigger problem at hand 
.
just read this about NYPD's records chief and i gotta say, being nice is key lol but seriously though, 37k foil requests in one year is insane 
how can they expect ppl to be "nice" when their response times are basically never 
and staffin is super low 
need more than just a smile to get info outta there 
.
.
or tell us to be nice 
.
. need more staff and better budgeting 
. I just want some answers and transparency but it feels like they're just playing dumb or ignoring me. This NYPD guy is saying be nice to the people handling your requests and that might work, but what if the system is broken? 
I'm literally livid when I think about this!!! Like seriously how hard is it for one department to just get its act together and provide transparency? 
The NYPD's slow response times and lack of engagement are basically an affront to the very principle of transparency itself! 
I think being nice is a good start but we need more than that. It's like, imagine you're at the DMV and the person behind the counter is just staring at you... yeah, being nice doesn't fix that. We need change from within the system, not just some tips on how to deal with it. 
. This NYPD records chief is right that being nice can help, but what about when u're dealing with a broken system?