Transparent Law Enforcement (Page 3)

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When an Email Appeal Isn’t Accepted: An ADA Title II Access Case Study (Irondequoit, NY)

In reviewing a municipal FOIL appeals process, a disability-based request to submit by email (rather than mail-only wet signature) received no decision. Public entities should ensure modification requests are granted, denied, or provided an alternative — not left unanswered.

The Background Check: How Rochester Police Investigate Their Critics

Rochester Police disciplined an officer with 30 minutes of training—then requested an MCAC intelligence “work-up” on the complainant. No written policy explains why.

FOIL Portal Requirements: Request for COOG Guidance Submitted

On January 29, 2026, Transparent Law Enforcement submitted a formal request for guidance to the New York Committee on Open Government regarding whether certain online FOIL submission portal requirements used by municipalities in Monroe County are consistent with New York’s Freedom of Information Law. The request grew out of

FOIL Submission Audit: Village of Churchville (High Friction / Deficient Submission)

→ This post is part of the Monroe County FOIL Submission Audit. View hub TL;DR The Village of Churchville provides an online FOIL request form but fails to disclose basic FOIL process information required by law, including timelines, appeal rights, records access officer identification, fees, and lawful alternative submission methods.

FOIL Submission Audit: Village of Scottsville (Moderate Friction / Mandatory Disclosure)

→ This post is part of the Monroe County FOIL Submission Audit. View hub TL;DR The Village of Scottsville provides a downloadable FOIL Request Form (PDF) as its primary and only documented submission method. While the Village clearly acknowledges FOIL timelines and fees, the submission process relies on mandatory personal

FOIL Submission Audit: Village of Honeoye Falls (High Friction / Deficient Submission)

→ This post is part of the Monroe County FOIL Submission Audit. View hub TL;DR The Village of Honeoye Falls does not publicly document how to submit a request under the New York Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). Based on information available on the Village website, a member of the

FOIL Submission Audit: Village of Brockport (Moderate Friction/ Mandatory Disclosure)

→ This post is part of the Monroe County FOIL Submission Audit. View hub TL;DR The Village of Brockport provides an online FOIL request form with relatively limited required fields but offers minimal public guidance regarding submission alternatives, appeal rights, or Records Access Officer identification. The submission process introduces moderate

FOIL Submission Audit: Village of East Rochester (Moderate Friction)

→ This post is part of the Monroe County FOIL Submission Audit. View hub TL;DR The Village of East Rochester relies on a downloadable FOIL request form (PDF) as the primary submission mechanism and provides minimal FOIL guidance on its website. While the Village clearly identifies the Records Access Officer

FOIL Submission Audit: City of Rochester (High Friction / Mandatory Disclosure)

→ This post is part of the Monroe County FOIL Submission Audit. View hub TL;DR The City of Rochester relies on a centralized FOIL portal that requires disclosure of personal identifying and contact information as a condition of submission. While the City provides extensive FOIL guidance, timelines, appeal rights, and

FOIL Submission Audit: Monroe County (Moderate–High Friction)

→ This post is part of the Monroe County FOIL Submission Audit. View hub TL;DR Monroe County provides multiple lawful methods for submitting FOIL requests, including email, mail, fax, printable form, and an online portal. However, the County’s online FOIL system requires extensive personal identifying information and presents strong