Peck said it appeared the student did not know what she was asking for. However, Peck said the department said it would fill the request. Because the department fills about 100 GRAMA requests a day, Peck said the student was told that she would have to call back to see if the information was ready.

A copy of the April 13 dispatch log was prepared three days later, but Peck said the student never called back. In the student's comments, however, no mention was made that she was told to call back. That student ended up giving Salt Lake police an "F."

Massey said he stands by the results of his audit. "I'm very proud of the work all of our volunteer auditors did. We sent out 20-something college and university students, many of whom had never before gone to city hall or a police department to ask to inspect a public document," he said, adding it proved his point that the audit is a look at how the average citizen is treated by local government.

Linda Petersen, state SPJ president, said the study was a worthwhile exercise, the first of its kind in Utah, in open government. The project was modeled after similar audits conducted in other states.

"We at Utah Headliners recognize that the study is flawed. It is not a scientific undertaking. Rather, it is a sample of what it is like for citizens out in the communities," Petersen said.

If anything, said Petersen, the audit does reflect an apparent need for government employees to be trained in how to follow GRAMA.

The fact that cities did very well in the study is no coincidence, said Ken Bullock, executive director for the Utah League of Cities and Towns. The city association provides training in GRAMA and open meetings laws to all newly elected city council members and mayors. "It's the newly elected officials who are the ones who really set the tone" for the rest of the city staff, Bullock said.

The league also works with SPJ to ensure that cities treat GRAMA as a priority.

It is a lesson that Utah's law enforcement community could benefit from, said one Salt Lake City attorney.

David Reymann deals with open government issues for the news media and public. He said law enforcement agencies have had a history of being difficult and closed. "There's just a lack of knowledge and a lack of education among employees and agencies," Reymann said.

Heber City Police Chief Ed Rhoades, who is also president of the Utah Chiefs of Police Association, said his department takes advantage of GRAMA training for his employees. The department got a "B-" for attitude, but no GRAMA request was submitted by the student.