A Fulton County Superior Court judge in Georgia has ruled that the Atlanta Police Foundation (APF) must release 15 unredacted public records related to the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, known as “Cop City,” within 30 days. The records include board meeting agendas, budget documents, and emails with Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. 

According to original reporting from The Georgia Recorder, the plaintiffs in the original suit, The Atlanta Community Press Collective and Chicago-based research center Lucy Parsons Labs, filed open records requests in 2023, but the APF failed to respond, despite providing records to other media outlets like the Atlanta Journal Constitution and WSB-TV. Judge Jane Barwick ruled that the APF violated Georgia’s Open Records Act by withholding the documents, stating that records held by private entities performing public functions are subject to disclosure.  

The APF, a private nonprofit supporting the Atlanta Police Department, argued that releasing unredacted records could endanger individuals by exposing them to potential threats from protesters. However, the foundation expressed plans to comply with the order. 

This case follows a broader push for transparency in Georgia. In August 2024, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that private contractors working for public entities must comply with open records laws, allowing requests for public records to be made directly to them.  

Senate Bill 12 was also signed into law earlier this year which requires public record requests involving private entities to go through the local governmental agencies that contracted with those third parties. 

Posted: June 10, 2025
Category: Brechner News
Tagged as: Brechner FOI Project, Brechner Freedom of Information Project, FOI, FOIA, open records laws, public records