Eugene, Oregon police bill local news outlet $2.5 million for records on one officer

In response to a public records request from Double Sided Media, the police department in Eugene, Oregon, said it would require 44,816 hours of manual searching and charge approximately $2,484,599.04, with a separate request concerning another former officer costing an additional $195,869.52. The request focused on potential misconduct by officer Justin Peckels between 2018 and 2026. The article notes that the police department signed a two-year, $342,000 contract during the same period to purchase nearly 60 AI license plate recognition cameras, yet claimed that keyword searching public records was unaffordable.