June 8th, 2011
FOI DAILY DOSE: Disciplined cops’ names withheld in Seattle, N.H. city’s lawsuits go public
By Morgan Watkins
Secret in Seattle
Despite dissension from the city government, the Seattle Police Department is keeping the names of officers who’ve faced disciplinary action secret.
A labor arbitrator demanded the names be withheld at the behest of the city’s police officers union.
The City of Seattle said it may pursue a court appeal of the decision. The case may depend on the Police Department’s legal responsibilities under Washington disclosure laws.
The department is under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department for its treatment of minorities and use of force.
It has also been criticized for being too secretive and has been disclosing more information on internal investigations in an attempt to shore up public trust.
Keeping the names of officers disciplined for misconduct, however, could throw a wrench in efforts to foster public faith in the Police Department.
N.H. town makes city lawsuits public
City officials in Danville, N.H., have decided to make town lawsuits easily accessible to the public.
Lawsuits both won and lost by the city are to be posted on the city website.
The city board voted unanimously to make the resolved lawsuits public.
In Danville this week, the open government tally so far is Transparency: 1, Secrecy: 0.
– Morgan Watkins
Morgan Watkins is SPJ’s summer Pulliam/Kilgore Freedom of Information intern and a University of Florida student. Reach her by email (mwatkins@spj.org) or connect with her on Twitter (@morganwatkins26).
Tags: court, disclosure, DOJ, FOI, Freedom of Information, lawsuit, misconduct, New Hampshire, open government, police, public records, Seattle, Washington