Oregon Police Are Charging a Local News Outlet $2.5M for Records About One Cop

A public records request for police misconduct records could cost you $2.5 million.

The city of Eugene, Oregon, has responded to a public records request from local news outlet Double Sided Media regarding police officer Justin Peckels with an estimated cost of $2.5 million. The outlet sought records concerning potential misconduct between 2018 and 2026, citing community complaints including an incident where Peckels allegedly punched a resident. The Eugene Police Department claims processing the request will require 44,816 staff hours. A separate request for records on another officer, Eric Klinko, was estimated at nearly $200,000. The city stated that if the actual cost exceeds the initial payment, the requester must cover the difference. Double Sided Media is appealing the fee, arguing it is prohibitively expensive and serves as a de facto gag order. This incident echoes previous instances where government agencies have levied exorbitant fees for public records.

The exorbitant fees charged by the City of Eugene for public records highlight a growing trend of governmental agencies using the cost of fulfilling requests as a barrier to transparency. This tactic effectively weaponizes the public's right to know, particularly against smaller news organizations that lack the resources to pay multi-million dollar invoices. The contrast between the high cost of providing records and the department's investment in surveillance technology like AI-powered license plate readers suggests a deliberate prioritization of resident monitoring over accountability.

This situation underscores a critical gap in the protection of press freedom at the local level, where safeguards against excessive fees are weaker than federal FOIA laws. Without legislative action to cap fees or mandate waivers for public interest requests, agencies can continue to deter journalistic oversight. The outcome of Double Sided Media's appeal and potential legislative reforms will be crucial in determining whether public records laws remain effective tools for accountability or become increasingly inaccessible.