Pursuant to the fundamental philosophy of the American constitutional form of government, it is declared to be the public policy of the State of Illinois that all persons are entitled to full and complete information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts and policies of those who represent them as public officials and public employees consistent with the terms of this Act. Such access is necessary to enable the people to fulfill their duties of discussing public issues fully and freely, making informed political judgments and monitoring government to ensure that it is being conducted in the public interest.
– Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140/1.

In Illinois, our most important transparency laws - the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Open Meetings Act (OMA) - endeavor to open the workings of government to the public, shed light on government actions and, in the process, strengthen our democracy.

Freedom of Information: To request general public information, please complete a Freedom of Information Request form stating the records/information you are seeking.

To request Police related public information, please click here to complete a Freedom of Information Request form for the Metropolis City Police Department.

Please allow a maximum of five working days in which to receive the information requested.