West Cook News

FOIA Request to Oak Park Police Department regarding active employee roster on November 13, 2025.

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Oak Park Police Department by West Cook News, a media organization focused on local governmental affairs. The request, dated November 13, 2025, seeks access to various records related to the department's current employees.

The requested documents include any roster, directory, staffing list, payroll record, or personnel summary that identifies all current employees of the police department. Specifically, the request asks for information such as each employee's name, job title or rank, sex or gender (if available in existing records), date of hire or appointment, and age or year of birth (only if included in public-facing records). The request also specifies that if multiple versions of these rosters exist—such as HR rosters or payroll rosters—the most recent version of each should be provided.

West Cook News emphasizes its role in gathering and reporting news to the public and argues that access to these public records is crucial for holding public institutions accountable and ensuring transparency. As a media professional involved in disseminating information to the public, West Cook News requests a fee waiver for this FOIA request.

The requestor is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through Freedom of Information and Sunshine Laws. More information about this coalition can be found at this link.

Our team will continue to keep you updated as we gather and report news related to this request and other matters of public interest. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further clarification regarding this matter.