TBI Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

15 Aug, 2016

Poll: Tennesseans universally support access to police body camera footage in cases of death and injury

By Deborah Fisher|2019-09-11T18:57:04-05:00August 15, 2016|Categories: crime records, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: Advisory Committee on Open Government, crime records, legislature, police body cameras, TBI|1 Comment

NASHVILLE — About 9 in 10 Tennesseans (89%) support public access to police body camera video when it records use of force that results in a citizen’s serious injury or death, according to a new poll by icitizen in collaboration with the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government. The support crosses partisan, age and regional lines. The results demonstrate strong citizen agreement that such video be disclosed to the public. In addition, a clear majority of voters (57%) believe the public has a right to see video of officer-involved shootings before an investigation is finished. About one-third (35%) oppose giving the public access before an investigation is finished (8% are unsure). “While it [...]

26 Apr, 2016

15 decisions on public records by the Tennessee Legislature in 2016

By Deborah Fisher|2018-11-09T08:23:32-06:00April 26, 2016|Categories: court records, crime records, exemptions, fees, Legislature, Office of Open Records Counsel, requests|Tags: birth certificates, civil asset forfeiture, court records, death certificates, drones, exemptions, fees for public records, government contracts, legislature, police body cameras, police records, police shootings, public notice, tax records, TBI, vendor confidentiality|1 Comment

This year, Tennessee lawmakers punted on public records bills that could have created new access rights to see police body camera video and files of finished investigations into officer-involved shootings. But they did pass several new laws — some that exempted more government information from public view, and others that hold promise for improving government transparency. Following is a roundup of action by the Tennessee Legislature related to public records and access. 1- Police body cameras: After a late-in-session effort to pass a body camera bill and disagreement among stakeholders, the House State Government Committee instructed the Advisory Committee on Open Government to study the issue and provide them with [...]

12 Apr, 2016

Two bills on transparency of police shooting investigations advance in Legislature

By Deborah Fisher|2018-11-09T08:23:45-06:00April 12, 2016|Categories: crime records, Legislature|Tags: legislature, police shootings, State Rep. G.A. Hardaway, State Sen. Brian Kelsey, TBI|0 Comments

A Shelby County state senator and Memphis state representative have both gained passage in legislative committees of different amendments to bills that would govern access to TBI files in police shooting investigations. Both amendments carve out a pathway for the public to see elements of the investigation that led to a decision to clear law enforcement officers or charge them. Most police shootings where someone is killed in Tennessee do not result in charges against the officer. State Sen. Brian Kelsey An amendment to S.B 2023 by State Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown, says: "After completion of an investigation by the Tennessee bureau of investigation into an officer-involved shooting [...]

5 Apr, 2016

Bill keeps TBI records about officer-involved shootings confidential unless police agree to release

By Deborah Fisher|2017-03-21T16:59:17-05:00April 5, 2016|Categories: crime records, Legislature|Tags: police body cameras, police shootings, State Rep. G.A. Hardaway, State Sen. Brian Kelsey, TBI|1 Comment

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article referenced language in the original Senate Bill 2023 and House Bill 2091 that required the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to handle investigations into all officer-involved shootings in the state. The amended bill that passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee last week does not appear to mandate TBI investigate all shootings, but when TBI does handle the investigation, it gives the district attorney and law enforcement agency discretion on whether to release public records regarding the investigation. A bill that passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee last week regarding TBI investigations into officer-involved shootings would keep public records of the investigation closed after the [...]

4 Apr, 2016

TBI, Sevier County sheriff keeps video of police shooting secret, though deputy back on duty

By Deborah Fisher|2018-11-09T08:21:07-06:00April 4, 2016|Categories: crime records|Tags: Branden Bearden, police body cameras, Sevier County Sheriff's Department, TBI|0 Comments

Just one week after a House State Government committee asked for a full study on body camera footage, a reporter in Sevierville continues to struggle to access police camera footage from a Jan. 13 fatal police shooting there. The reporter, Jeff Farrell of The Mountain Press, did what any good reporter would do after a sheriff's deputy shot and killed a fleeing suspect. Knowing that the Sheriff's Department had equipped deputies with body cameras, Farrell requested any dash cam or body cam footage of the incident. The Sheriff's Department, however, said it would not or could not release footage, saying it had turned over investigation into the incident to the Tennessee [...]

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