This is an example of the usually unheralded public service performed by watchdog journalists countless times behind the scenes. Support journalism. Subscribe to your local newspapers. (Thread 1/11) #FOIA @freshtakefla @UFJSchool

At a time when public scrutiny of law enforcement is as important as ever, a Florida sheriff was using a highly paid lieutenant, not an administrative assistant, to handle requests from citizens for copies of internal records. #BLM

Deliberate or not, this inflated the costs to citizens for such requests to more than $50 per hour to retrieve and review records. This includes files about deputy misconduct, citizen complaints, the agency's spending of public money and more.

This effectively meant only wealthy individuals or groups with deep pockets can regularly afford to ask for internal law enforcement documents. Newsroom budgets are increasingly tight, too. Fwiw, $50 per hour is nearly twice the median annual salary in the United States.

Florida's famously powerful public records law allows government offices to charge citizens amounts that "shall be reasonable and shall be based on the cost incurred."

In Tallahassee, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has instructed his own Office of Open Government to charge no more than the "lowest-paid personnel capable of providing such services." @GovRonDeSantis https://www.flgov.com/open_government/

Other states around the US limit public records charges to cost of the lowest-paid employee with the necessary training, but Florida's law includes no such provision.

Employing a higher-paid staffer – driving up costs to citizens – appears legal in Florida under a 2016 state appeals court decision. But it's bad public policy.

Yesterday, in response, our reporter asked under the public records law for a list of all invoices for public records the sheriff's department charged over the past 90 days, starting reaching out to lawyers, open government advocates for comment.

Less than 24 hours later, sheriff advised us the agency will return to using an administrative assistant to handle public records requests from citizens, at a cost of $22 per hour – less than half the premium the sheriff was charging.

This is a real-world, pocketbook victory for citizens. Sheriff's office should be commended for making the right change. Journalists should push back when we can't hold public officials accountable.