PO records requests tripled since 2018

Published 1:30 am Friday, June 30, 2023

Public records in Port Orchard are being requested more than ever, surpassing the numbers of pre-pandemic years and continuing to climb, according to city documents.

The Port Orchard Independent recently submitted a request for complete public records data spanning the past few years. Included in the data provided by the city were the dates requests were submitted and completed, some explanation of what was requested, the number of days the request remained open and how many hours were spent working on the request. Data was compiled from multiple data sources and includes requests submitted to the city as well as its police department.

The city also publicly displays its charges for public records on its website. For example, printed paper copies are set at 15 cents per page, and scanned copies sit just below that at ten cents. The city also offers information on pricing for body-worn camera footage and electronic transmission of records. Mailing and digital media storage are both listed as actual costs.

It was only five years ago when the number of public records from the city sat at just 495. A request by Melissa Andrews for files for McCormick Woods Phases III Phase IV stands out. It took staff about 117 hours of work to fulfill over 36 days to finish it.

The workload dipped in 2019 with a 34.7% decrease to 323 requests in 2019 before climbing back up to 391 requests in 2020.

Requests have increased every year since as 2021 saw a large 50.3% increase to 588, which led to a smaller 14% increase to 669 in 2022. Early numbers in 2023 indicate that number could be matched if not increased again.

City clerk-public records officer Brandy Wallace has had to handle the much-bigger workload that, as it piles up, can take longer to fulfill.

One of the most extreme cases is a Jan. 6, 2022, request from Eric Fong that has taken over 500 days. Fong’s request seeks “any and all records, photographs, office notes, media releases, witness statements, reports, audio, dispatch logs, calls for service and video recordings” for a Port Orchard address for the past 13 years.”

Another longtime open request from 2022 came July 20 from Stephen Terra for documents on the “fatal accident investigation involving Kathleen R. Terra.” It is now almost a year old.

Another, a request from Dianna Malcom pertaining to “any police and arson investigative reports regarding my sister, Linda Louise Malcom’s murder, is over 240 days old.

Another 2022 request made Jan. 20 by Victoria Nelson for police records, victim and witness statements, electronic communications and video/body camera footage pertaining to a case that took over 200 days to fulfill.

As for requests fulfilled already this year, the following are some of those that stayed open the longest:

•Beverly Van Santford submitted a request March 22 for all records for specific names and addresses. That request was fulfilled in 62 days.

•Michael Kurkov “Requesting any historic aerials/blueprints/plan sheets/permits/any other available documentation, with regard to the certain property. The request stayed open for 57 days.

•A March 12 request from Earl Smith inquired about documents in relation to past holdings of the South Kitsap High School parade. The request was fulfilled after 46 days.

•Ted Macomber requested “all records related to the arrest of Wyatt Scott Campbell on January 31st, 2023 at 0147 for Assault 2 and interfering with reporting DV.” The request was open for 33 days.