Rick Karlin is reporting in the Times Union police departments statewide are resisting or unnecessarily delaying Freedom of Information Law requests for records on the use of force, misconduct complaints, racial profiling and the use of surveillance equipment, according to a study released Mon., Sep. 18, by the New York Civil Liberties Union. During a two-year period, NYCLU researched requested records from 23 police departments, including several in the Capital Region. Only the Utica department produced the documents without necessitating the filing of an administrative appeal, which can cause a request to languish for months or even years. FOIL requires only that an agency acknowledge receipt of a request within five business days. However, state and local agencies often delay providing records for months or even years with little explanation. Read the full story in the Times Union.