Richmond Transparency and Accountability Project (RTAP)
The Richmond Transparency and Accountability Project (RTAP) is a Richmond, Virginia-based criminal justice advocacy group focused on police oversight and public access to law enforcement data. Founded in 2016, RTAP was created by community organizers in partnership with the Legal Aid Justice Center, the New Virginia Majority, and Southerners on New Ground. The organization uses public records requests, community organizing, and advocacy to push for expanded civilian oversight of the Richmond Police Department (RPD), and campaigns for broader access to data on police stops, the use of force, and officer conduct. 1
Contents
Background
The Richmond Transparency and Accountability Project was founded in 2016 after organizers canvased residents in Richmond’s Blackwell neighborhood and identified concerns about over-policing. According to the group, those organizers held community meetings where residents described policing experiences and advocated for a civilian review board to oversee the Richmond Police Department . When former Police Chief Alfred Durham and some members of the Richmond City Council responded that community testimony was insufficient without supporting data, RTAP and its partners began using the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to seek police records. 2
Public Records Campaigns
In September 2017, Richmond Transparency and Accountability Project submitted an open-records request to the Richmond Police Department seeking data on use-of-force incidents and officer complaints. The department denied portions of the request beyond information already included in annual reports. In February 2018, RPD began posting certain use-of-force data online following renewed requests and public pressure. RTAP later identified omissions in the released data, including firearm-related incidents, and raised the issue publicly. RPD subsequently updated the records. 2
RTAP also requested data on traffic and pedestrian stops; the requests were denied in part over terminology and data system distinctions. The organization responded by organizing town halls, petitions, and meetings with city officials. In October 2018, RPD attached an estimated $4,500 fee to produce certain requested records. RTAP organized a petition urging the fee be waived and later reported receiving most of the requested data without charge, though not all categories were ultimately released. 2
Advocacy
Richmond Transparency and Accountability Project advocates expanding civilian oversight of Richmond policing through legislation and local governmental action. The group supported statewide policy efforts to empower community control of police in Virginia and has said it pressured Richmond City Council to start formal processes toward civilian oversight of the Richmond Police Department. 1 RTAP has also engaged in discussions concerning RPD’s records management systems and expressed opposition to the use of predictive policing technologies during public meetings. 2
Affiliations
The Richmond Transparency and Accountability Project was formed in partnership with the Legal Aid Justice Center (LAJC), a Virginia-based left-of-center legal advocacy organization that has provided legal and organizing support for RTAP’s police oversight and public records campaigns. 1 LAJC organizers have worked directly with RTAP on FOIA efforts and community mobilization related to policing data in Richmond. In 2023, LAJC staff facilitated RTAP’s first “Organizing School,” a training program focused on community organizing strategy and leadership development. 3
RTAP is also partnered with New Virginia Majority, a left-leaning voter mobilization and advocacy organization, and Southerners on New Ground, an advocacy group focused on racial and LGBT activism. 1 Faculty affiliated with Virginia Commonwealth University have assisted in analyzing policing data obtained through RTAP’s records requests. 2