Memphis

17 Feb, 2016

Memphis presents policy to deny access to body cam video, moves forward with purchase

By |2016-02-17T08:22:09-06:00February 17, 2016|Categories: crime records|Tags: , , , , , |0 Comments

The Commercial Appeal reports today that the city of Memphis is moving ahead with a multimillion-dollar plan to equip its police officers with body cams, but also presented a policy that would deny citizen requests to see video from the cameras if the video is related to an ongoing investigation. This would include incidents that involve an officer-involved shooting, Memphis Chief Operating Officer Doug McGowen told council members. The proposed policy on access to video was not voted upon, and McGowen said the policy could be adjusted if it's not working, according to the Commercial Appeal. Lucian Pera, the Commercial Appeal's attorney, and president of Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, was quoted [...]

15 Dec, 2015

TBI investigative file released in Memphis police shooting case

By |2019-09-11T18:56:09-05:00December 15, 2015|Categories: crime records|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

The Shelby County District Attorney has posted on her website TBI's investigative files into the shooting death of 19-year-old Darrius Stewart by a Memphis police officer in what may be one of the first times such TBI files have been made public. See Memphis Commercial Appeal story here: TBI files in Darrius Stewart case now open for public review Shelby County Chancellor James R. Newsom III  ruled last week that the normally confidential files could be released after the district attorney, Amy Weirich, and TBI Director Mark Gwyn petitioned the court, saying that releasing the files would be in the public's interest. Weirich had recommended that the Shelby County grand jury  indict Memphis police officer Connor [...]

10 Dec, 2015

New Memphis mayor to change city’s public records process, move it out of legal

By |2019-09-11T18:55:58-05:00December 10, 2015|Categories: requests|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

New Memphis mayor Jim Strickland plans to implement at least one of the recommendations from a report earlier this year that suggested an overhaul of how the city handles public records request. In "Strickland says changes will improve communication," Commercial Appeal politics and policy reporter Ryan Poe writes: Among his first acts as Memphis mayor, Jim Strickland plans to shake up the city's public records process, which a report issued in May said was "inefficient" and at times had perhaps inadvertently violated the law. Doug McGowen (from left), Bruce McMullen, Ursula Madden, Jim Strickland, Brian Collins, Toney Armstrong As he announced several executive-level appointments Monday, Strickland he would make [...]

22 Aug, 2015

Police records shed light on use of lethal force in Memphis

By |2016-01-06T09:21:13-06:00August 22, 2015|Categories: crime records|Tags: , , |0 Comments

The Commercial Appeal published a story yesterday that examined 22 shooting deaths of suspects by Memphis police since 2009. It is a clear example of how access to public records can shed light on local government operations,  providing citizens and community leaders support and information for better understanding and tackling a problem. The sheer volume of people shot and killed by Memphis police over a period of five years might be startling, but the Commercial Appeal went farther with its analysis after poring through police records, including video from a home surveillance camera showing an officer shooting an unarmed suspect in the back as he fled. From the story, "CA Investigation: [...]

7 Aug, 2015

New accounting standard to require governments to disclose cost of tax breaks

By |2020-11-19T12:24:13-06:00August 7, 2015|Categories: economic development|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

The Governmental Accounting Standards Board approved a new rule on Monday that requires governments to include in financial statements the value of tax abatements given to companies to spur economic development starting next year. "The results of external research ... suggest that tax abatements are an issue of concern among citizen groups, county board members, and municipal bond analysts, and that each group desires to receive information about the level of abatement activity and the results of the abatement programs," according to GASB. "However, the researchers found relatively few states (six) with statutes requiring any level of external reporting after tax abatements are granted. These findings indicate that there is an important information need that [...]

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