NEW: ACLU—State Police ‘Attack on Transparency’
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
The Rhode Island ACLU is criticizing the Department of Public Safety for imposing further restrictions on access to public records.
The ACLU first took issue with new rules adopted nine months ago that allowed the State Police to decide on a case-by-case basis whether “otherwise public information” would be released. Now, a new proposal further restricts public access by making all witness statements that are part of arrest reports nonpublic, the ACLU says.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe ACLU is calling the proposed restrictions “yet another attack on transparency,” saying they improperly extend a legal exemption granted to law enforcement and undermine the public record law’s “requirement that initial arrest reports be made public.”
“Scrutiny of arrest reports is essential in order to make sure that proper procedures are being followed by law enforcement agencies and arrests are taking place in a lawful manner,” said ACLU Executive Director Steven Brown. “This latest effort by the State Police to weaken public oversight undercuts a major foundation of the open records law. We hope the proposal will be withdrawn.”
State Police Col. Steven O’Donnell did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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