The Iowa Public Information Board
In re the Matter of: David Kordi, Complainant And Concerning: University of Iowa Police Department, Respondent |
Case Number: 25FC:0171 Investigative Report
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COMES NOW, Charissa Flege, Deputy Director for the Iowa Public Information Board (“IPIB”), and enters this Investigative Report:
On October 30, 2025, David Kordi (“Complainant”) filed formal complaint 25FC:0171, alleging that University of Iowa Police Department (“Respondent”) violated Iowa Code Chapter 22.
The Iowa Public Information Board accepted this complaint at its meeting on November 20, 2025.
Facts
On October 10, 2025, Complainant submitted a public records request to the University of Iowa Police Department requesting “1. Radar/Lidar Training and Certification Records, including: The type(s) of radar or lidar devices Officer Dennis is certified to operate; The issuing institutions and dates of each certification or recertification; and Any documentation of radar/lidar requalification, continuing education, or retraining. 2. Departmental Policies, Standard Operating Procedures, or Memoranda related to: Radar/lidar calibration intervals and operator responsibilities; Evidentiary reliability standards or testing requirements; Certification renewal requirements for radar/lidar operators. 3. Records or Logs identifying: The last date Officer [] Dennis was verified as proficient in radar/lidar operation; and The most recent calibration or accuracy-verification date for the radar or lidar device assigned to Officer Dennis, or used in connection with case number STA0292437, involving a citation issued on August 5, 2025 in Iowa City, Iowa.”
On November 11, 2025, IPIB notified the parties that this complaint had been filed with our agency and that it contained allegations of failure to produce public records and an unreasonable delay.
On November 20, 2025, Respondent completed the records request. They provided a record and responded to each category of request stating that the requested records either didn’t exist (as to #2), or they do not have such records but the Law Enforcement Academy may possess them (as # 1), or attaching the responsive record they had (as to #3).
Respondent further clarified during the investigation that the department has extensive policies and remains willing to respond to modified or new records requests for other policies, but it does not have policies that match the narrow policy type requested by Complainant.
Applicable Law
“Every person shall have the right to examine and copy a public record and to publish or otherwise disseminate a public record or the information contained in a public record. Unless otherwise provided for by law, the right to examine a public record shall include the right to examine a public record without charge while the public record is in the physical possession of the custodian of the public record. The right to copy a public record shall include the right to make photographs or photographic copies while the public record is in the possession of the custodian of the public record. All rights under this section are in addition to the right to obtain a certified copy of a public record under section 622.46.” Iowa Code 22.2(1).
“[P]ractical considerations can enter into the time required for responding to an open records request, including ‘the size or nature of the request.’ But the records must be provided promptly, unless the size or nature of the request makes that infeasible,” Horsfield Materials, Inc. v. City of Dyersville, 834 N.W.2d 444, 461 (Iowa 2013).
Analysis
Respondent completed the records request in 41 days. Iowa code does not prescribe a specific timeline for governmental entities to respond to records requests. Instead, it considers the factual circumstances to determine whether the response time was reasonable. While it would have been preferable for the records request to be completed sooner, considering the case was referred to counsel for response because it involved a pending driving citation issued by the department and requested potentially confidential personnel records of the officer, it doesn’t appear unreasonable for the request to be completed within 41 days.
As to the second allegation that Respondent failed to produce records. IPIB did not receive any information that indicated they have withheld records. The police chief confirmed that the department has an extensive policy manual, some of which are confidential policies and some of which are public records, but none of which matched the criteria provided by the request. They further stated that any training that the officer had received was completed through Iowa Law Enforcement Academy and certifications for those trainings were housed there. Again, IPIB did not receive any information that would indicate this is untruthful.
IPIB Action
The Board may take the following actions upon receipt of an Investigative Report:
Redirect the matter for further investigation;
Dismiss the matter for lack of probable cause to believe a violation has occurred;
Make a determination that probable cause exists to believe a violation has occurred, but, as an exercise of administrative discretion, dismiss the matter; or
Make a determination that probable cause exists to believe a violation has occurred, designate a prosecutor and direct the issuance of a statement of charges to initiate a contested case proceeding.
Iowa Admin. Code r. 497-2.2(4).
Recommendation
Therefore, because Respondent provided the substantive records and indicated for each category why there were no records produced if no substantive records were provided, no violation of Chapter 22’s requirement occurred, and it is recommended the Board dismiss for a lack of probable cause.
By the IPIB Deputy Director,
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Charisa Flege, J.D.
CERTIFICATE OF MAILING
This document was sent on February 12, 2026, to:
David Kordi, Complainant
University of Iowa Police Department, Respondent
The Iowa Public Information Board
In re the Matter of: David Kordi, Complainant And Concerning: University of Iowa Police Department, Respondent |
Case Number: 25FC:0171 Probable Cause Order
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Under Iowa Admin. Code r. 497-2.2(4) the Board takes the following action:
☐a. Redirect the matter for further investigation;
☒b. Dismiss the matter for lack of probable cause to believe a violation has occurred;
☐c. Make a determination that probable cause exists to believe a violation has occurred, but, as an exercise of administrative discretion, dismiss the matter; or
☐d. Make a determination that probable cause exists to believe a violation has occurred, designate a prosecutor and direct the issuance of a statement of charges to initiate a contested case proceeding.
By the Board Chair
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Catherine Lucas
CERTIFICATE OF MAILING
This document was sent on February 20, 2026, to:
David Kordi, Complainant
University of Iowa Police Department, Respondent