WOODRIDGE, Ill. (Mar. 11, 2021) – A recent California Supreme Court ruling is driving dramatic changes for law enforcement agencies in the state and could have implications for public records offices nationwide, according to GovQA. The new ruling centers on costs associated with redacting personally identifiable information (PII) and other protected, sensitive data from video and other electronic records.
“For many law enforcement agencies in California, the wide-spread use of body and dash cams means the sheer volume and complexity of information that needs to be reviewed, redacted and approved prior to release and the resources needed to comply are the biggest challenges resulting from these rulings,” said Jennifer Snyder, chief evangelist at GovQA.
GovQA, the largest provider of automated workflow solutions for government compliance, has partnered with Veritone, the creator of the world’s first operating system for artificial intelligence, aiWARE™, to enable state and local government agencies to increase transparency and expedite the release of public records requests. GovQA is the only SaaS-based, public records management platform capable of secure, end-to-end public records disclosure workflows for any document type including electronic documents, videos, and audio files. Through its strategic relationship with Veritone, GovQA customers are able to automate the redaction of sensitive information within video and audio-based evidence up to 90 percent faster than manual methods. The integration of Veritone Redact with GovQA’s CJIS-compliant platform provides government agencies with an efficient way to quickly redact and release records in response to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and other public records requests.
California is not alone. Public records request volumes are rising across the nation. According to GovQA’s proprietary Peers in Public Records (PiPR) Index, public records requests increased on average by 21 percent from June to December 2020 in the United States.
“Depending on the statute language and the situation at hand, any jurisdiction could face circumstances similar to those in California,” said Snyder.
GovQA and Veritone will offer a free webinar on Tuesday, Mar. 30, 2021, at 11 a.m. Pacific Time highlighting flexible software solutions that help state and local agencies comply with changing public records rules. The webinar is open to participants in all 50 states and advance registration is recommended.
“GovQA has a proven track record for assisting agencies in complying with public records laws, speeding the release of public records at a reduced cost, and addressing the growing demand for accountability,” said Snyder.
