[Scan-DC] Police agencies refuse to release audio from 911 calls, prompting ques tions about transparency.

[Blair Thompson]

http://connection.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/documents/2014/02/26/Alexandria.pdf

911: Keeping Secrets
By Michael Lee Pope
Gazette Packet

When city officials in Alexandria released the audio of a 911 call in a high-profile murder case, many people interpreted the move as a step forward for transparency in a commonwealth known for opaque government. But then reality set in. The release was a mistake. The city attorney’s office failed to consult with the police department, which carefully guards its privilege to withhold information from the public.

“It was a clerical error that the 911 call was released,” said Crystal Nosal, spokeswoman for the Alexandria Police Department. “We didn’t waive the privileges under FOIA, so they are not going to release it again.”

Across Virginia, police agencies routinely deny access to basic information and documents available in other states. One key example of the lack of transparency is audio from 911 calls, which are regularly released in most states across America. But not in Virginia, which is one of the reasons why the commonwealth got a failing grade for transparency from the State Integrity Investigation in 2012. Advocates for open government say audio from 911 calls should be available to the public so people know how their government is — or isn’t — working on their behalf.

“If anything, it seems the more public input that can be sought on this the better, and the more information the public has the better,” said Emily Grannis, a legal fellow at Arlington-based Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. “This is a scary kind of case, and it’s a scary kind of case to have open and the more the public can know about it the better the public will be equipped to be able to help police investigate.”
____________________________________________________________
Never Eat This Carb
Literally Never! 1 Easy Tip to Increase Fat Burning, Lower Blood Sugar
http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/5318d2c6d5a9852c64b15st03duc