It can be hefty, depending on what agency is involved. I would suggest finding the agency in New York that is equivalent to Florida's First Amendment Foundation. It is not uncommon in Florida for local governments to set their own hefty prices, contrary to what the state establishes. When they do that you have to write to the state's Attorney General's Office for assistance.

In fact, start with the New York State Attorney's Office.

Private or public agency, the State Attorney's Office might be helpful in determining if they're gouging.

but i honestly don't know how police agencies can get away with charging what they do for simply running a search and making a copy.

to get a copy of a police report. It was something like $2. I am not surprised that you would be charged a fee in NY to get a copy of a report but to get charged a fee just to don an online search does seem to be a bit much. An online search did not require any resources from the state.

If you read the freedom of information laws at both the state and federal level, you'll find that fees can be charged for the delivery of records. At their discretion, government may waive those fees depending on the records involved.