crime records Archives - Page 8 of 19 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

20 Dec, 2016

Nashville police chief publicly blasts DA spokesman who released name of alleged rape victim

By Deborah Fisher|2016-12-20T13:47:03-06:00December 20, 2016|Categories: crime records, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: Ken Whitehouse, sexual assault records, Steve Anderson, WSMV-TV|1 Comment

The Nashville Police Chief publicly blasted a spokesman in the District Attorney's office for releasing a police incident report to a TV station that contained the name of a housekeeping employee who reported she was raped in a Bridgestone Arena bathroom. The woman later gave an on-camera interview to WSMV-TV Channel 4, saying she wanted to tell her story and was upset after learning that the co-worker who she said attacked her was a registered sex offender. "They should screen sex offenders, murderers, anybody (before employing them)," she told the TV station. Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson Police Chief Steve Anderson said that releasing the name of the alleged rape victim [...]

13 Dec, 2016

Ohio Supreme Court rules dash cam videos are public records

By Deborah Fisher|2016-12-13T10:44:23-06:00December 13, 2016|Categories: crime records|Tags: litigation, Ohio Supreme Court, police records|0 Comments

In ruling that rejects a blanket investigatory exemption for police records, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled last week that dash cam video is in general a public record, subject to redactions. The ruling has no legal effect in Tennessee, but is relevant because it deals with some of the same legal issues that have arisen in disputes with police here about what should be available to the public under the Tennessee Public Records Act. Some police departments refuse to release incident reports, saying they are part of the investigatory file. Currently, access to body cam footage is under study. In Ohio, the Cincinnati Inquirer in 2015 requested dash cam video [...]

16 Nov, 2016

TCOG, League of Women Voters to host body camera forum in December

By Deborah Fisher|2016-12-01T08:56:37-06:00November 16, 2016|Categories: crime records, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: Dawn Deaner, Hedy Weinberg, League of Women Voters, police body cameras, Steve Anderson, TCOG event|1 Comment

The Tennessee Coalition for Open Government and the Nashville Chapter of the League of Women Voters will host a body camera forum, "Police Body Cameras: From Privacy to Accountability -- What Citizens Should Know," Dec. 7 in Nashville. It is free and open to the public. A panel discussion, followed by audience questions and comments, will feature Lonnell Matthews, director of the mayor’s Office of Neighborhoods and Community Engagement; ACLU-Tennessee Executive Director Hedy Weinberg; and Davidson County Public Defender Dawn Dean. The event will be from 4-5 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 7 at the First Amendment Center at 1207 18t Avenue South. Two weeks ago, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry [...]

30 Sep, 2016

Learning from Memphis: Media coverage of police shootings

By Deborah Fisher|2019-09-11T18:57:16-05:00September 30, 2016|Categories: crime records, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: Amy Weirich, Darrius Stewart, Memphis Police, police body cameras, police shootings, TBI|0 Comments

In Memphis this week, about 80 news reporters, activists, attorneys and college students came together to examine how media can, should and does cover police shootings. The centerpiece was the case of 19-year-old Darrius Stewart, who was shot and killed last year by Memphis police officer Connor Schilling after a traffic stop, sparking protests and concerns from the African-American community. The daylong workshop, developed by the Memphis Bar Association, comes at a time of national attention on police shootings, driven often by dramatic video recorded by bystanders and family members. The video and circumstances around the shootings have raised questions about the use of lethal force and racial bias. (See: [...]

7 Sep, 2016

Advisory Committee on Open Government aims for body camera study, public hearings

By Deborah Fisher|2016-10-10T14:27:47-05:00September 7, 2016|Categories: crime records, Legislature, Office of Open Records Counsel|Tags: Advisory Committee on Open Government, Bob Ramsey, David Rausch, legislature, police body cameras, Rick Hollow|0 Comments

The Advisory Committee on Open Government (ACOG) took the first steps toward a police body camera study last week, discussing ideas for public hearings around the state and how it would develop broad input and conversation. State Rep. Bob Ramsey, R-Maryville, and Chair of House State Government Committee The 14-member group, which is appointed by the Comptroller's Office, represents a wide range of media, government and citizen organizations and is authorized by law to provide written comment on proposed legislation regarding open records and meetings. The House State Government Committee, chaired by state Rep. Bob Ramsey, R-Maryville, asked the open government committee to study the body cam issue after [...]