Albuquerque officials are struggling with a growing backlog of public records requests, with more than 1,700 IPRA requests currently pending. City Clerk Ethan Watson said the workload has surged dramatically, with the city processing nearly 16,000 public records requests last year. The volume has increased by nearly 70% for the Albuquerque Police Department alone.

Body camera footage from police encounters remains among the most commonly requested documents. These requests often require extensive review and redaction of sensitive information before release. The city received over 2,000 IPRA requests monthly during July through September last year, straining resources and extending response times for all requesters.

A new trend has emerged with hundreds of requests coming from outside New Mexico and even internationally, including from individuals in Pakistan and Arkansas. Watson suspects many may be generated using artificial intelligence or submitted on behalf of online content creators, with references to YouTube channels appearing in multiple requests. The city must process requests in order received, meaning complex video reviews can delay responses for other citizens waiting on records.