Citizen toolkit

October 23, 2026

Records Access Officer
[Agency name]

Re: Freedom of Information Law request

Dear Records Access Officer:

Under the New York Freedom of Information Law (Public Officers Law, Article 6), I request copies of the following records:

1. All contracts, amendments, extensions and change orders with any vendor that installs, operates or maintains automated traffic enforcement cameras, including red-light, speed, school-zone or bus-lane cameras
2. The request for proposals, all proposals received, and the scoring or evaluation records for the selection of that vendor
3. Records showing every payment made to that vendor, by month
4. Records showing the number of notices of liability (tickets) issued by the automated enforcement program, by month and by camera location
5. Records showing fines and fees assessed, amounts collected, amounts refunded and amounts dismissed, by month
6. Budget and revenue reports showing how revenue from the program was recorded and spent

I ask that the records be provided in electronic form by email where they exist in that form. If any part of this request is denied, please cite the specific exemption that applies and release all portions of the records that are not exempt.

As required by Public Officers Law section 89(3)(a), please acknowledge this request within five business days of receipt.

Thank you.

[Your name]

Investigation checklist

1. Write down the claim exactly as you heard it, with where it came from and the date.
2. Find out which agency runs the program: town, village, county, city or a court.
3. Request the camera list with install and removal dates.
4. Request ticket counts and money collected by month and by location.
5. Request the vendor contract and every amendment.
6. For red-light cameras, request the signal timing history, especially the yellow interval.
7. Compare the records against each other and against what officials have said publicly.
8. Keep every reply, including denials. A denial is a record too.
9. Separate what the records prove from what they only suggest.

Questions for a public meeting

• How many tickets did each camera issue last year, and how much was collected?
• How much of each fine goes to the camera company?
• What safety study was used to choose each location?
• Have crashes at camera locations gone down, gone up, or changed type since installation?
• Has the yellow light timing at any camera intersection changed since the camera went in?
• Which cameras were removed, and why?
• What fees are added on top of the fine, and what law allows them?