Public Record Requests

Effective January 1, 2017, the Massachusetts Public Records Law, M.G.L. c. 66 and c. 4, §7(26) provides that a municipality must, within 10 business days, respond to a request for records by providing access or a copy of such records, or explaining any delay or denial. A public record is any record a government office or worker makes or gets, unless a law says it should be kept private. You can ask for these records in-person, by mail, by email, or by fax. There might be a fee for copies or research time.

How to Make a Public Record Request 

Any person may make a public record request. These requests can be made in-person, by mail, by fax, or by email. Although not required, it is strongly encouraged that public record requests be in writing to ensure the most efficient and accurate response. All written public record requests shall be addressed/directed to a Records Access Officers (RAO), and contain the requester’s name and contact information, so that the RAO is able to provide the required response.

Specificity of Requests

To facilitate timely responses to public record requests, requests should be as specific as possible, detailing, if known, record custodian(s), and date and subject matter parameters. The more specific the request, the better able the Town will be to respond, as broad requests often require more extensive staff efforts to locate, review, and copy all possibly responsive records. 

Record Access Officers

The Town of Bedford has four Records Access Officers (RAO). The Town Clerk, the Fire Chief, the Police Chief, and the Superintendent of Schools.

Town Clerk

The Town Clerk is responsible for any records held by town departments, except for Fire, Police, and Schools. Request records from the Town Clerk.

Fire Chief

The Fire Chief is responsible for any records held by the Fire Department. Request records from the Fire Department.

Police Chief

The Police Chief is responsible for any records held by the Police Department. Request records from the Police Department.

Superintendent of Schools

The Superintendent of Schools is responsible for any records held by the Bedford Public Schools. Request records from the Bedford Public Schools.