Covering the police beat

   When covering the police, it's essential that you get to know the officers. They are real people, too, with families and hobbies and a life outside of their job. However, their job requires that they enforce the law. If you're on the wrong side of the law, it's their job to make sure you obey it.

   Here are some basic tips for covering law enforcement:

• Identify yourself and your news affiliation so that they understand you also have a job to do. Remember: crime awareness and crime prevention go hand-in-hand. Students who are aware of dangers on campus are less likely to become victims.

• Always be professional and polite. Treat officers with respect and they will treat you with respect. Address them with the appropriate titles; it took a long time to earn their rank. Smile. Your job is easier when there's a mutual respect, or at least toleration, between you and the police.

• Be accurate — this begins by correctly spelling their names.

• Quote people — refrain from using the anonymous "police said."

• Explain your deadlines — they need to know why you need the information in time constraints.

• All comments should be considered "on the record" — if an "off the record" request is made, be sure you have similar definitions concerning what it means.

• Make copies of any available documents, especially in sensitive cases. Something may not immediately seem important, but is proven to be when you write your story.

• Check the numbers. If incidents do not appear, ask why.

• Get out of the newspaper office and go to the campus police station. Don't expect the police to make news judgments for you.

• Ask the right questions. Instead of asking, "Is anything happening?" instead ask "What's the most important things the department has done in the last 24 houring normal business hours?"

• Don't compromise your position as an ethical, independent observer.

• In a tradgedy, never ask the victim's family "How do you feel?" Learn something positive about the victim before you approach family or friends.

• Look to other sources, including public records. Something unavailable on a private campus may be available at the courthouse, including the names of victims and witnesses.

• Turn to the local media to help you dig out a story if you are stonewalled.

• If denied access to records, don't be afraid to write about it.

• ride along with officers for a "on-the-job" article
• profile the dispatcher and explain his or her job
• hang out with a shift
• feature drug awareness seminars
• profile the cooperation between campus and city police
• write an in-depth article on the college's safety policies (are there any outdated policies? are some enforced while others aren't? why or why not?)
• report on the campus crime statistics which are federally-required by the Clery Act

Using State Open Records Laws

   Arkansas Code 25-19-101 requires that public records kept by the police are available to any resident requesting them in accordance with the law. Students attending private colleges whose police departments operate as law enforcement units either by statute or deputization have access to crime reports to the extent provide by the state Freedom of Information laws. Arkansas is one of the most lenient states concerning FOI laws, and has even produced the Freedom of Information Handbook.

NOTE on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (a.k.a. the Buckley Amendment): A 1992 amendment explicitly states that FERPA is not applied to campus police or security department records, i.e. when state and federal laws demand disclosure, a school may not use FERPA as an excuse to not comply.

What Records Are Available?

• blotter or crime log — this is the information you normally see in the Voice. It's very limited.

• incident reports — comprise the "meat and potatos" for covering the police beat. Incident reports provide details such as names and addresses and a narrative of what happened.

• investigation reports — covering leads, other aspects of investigation. Though these are often exempted, you may ask the official to black out individual pieces of information so that you access that information available through the Freedom of Information laws.

• arrest or booking log — a record of all individuals charged with crimes, includes their name, address and age as well as the charge against him.

• accident reports — reports of motor vehicle accidents, though specific medical information is often exempt.

• parking ticket records — covers misdemeanors, recently required for release through a Maryland court decision.

• safety policies/security budget reports — Federal law requires all schools receiving federal funds to provide information on campus security policies and programs.

Requesting the Records

   If the police refuse to give you the requested records, inform the custodian of the records that you do not understand the denial because you know the records are public under state law. Ask for the specific legal exemption on which the denial is based. Make clear you do not want an explanation; you want a legal justification.

   Remember, be firm but courteous. Give them room to back down without losing face. If you still cannot obtain the records, accurately write down the name of the custodian of the records and inform him or her that you will file a formal appeal with his supervisor and, if necessary, the college president and other relevant governmental officials. Also let them know you will have to include in your news story that the police refused to give you access to public records about crime.

   If your oral request is denied, it is time to start "The Paper Trail" by putting your request in writing. You can obtain a FOI Request Letter from the Student Press Law Center. Your appeal should include the same information as your original request, but should also briefly describe how you were denied access in your original request.

   Direct your first letter to the Chief of Police. Deliver it by certified mail. Make your request as specific as possible. Be sure to cite Arkansas Code 25-19-101.

   State that you'd like to know why your request was denied. Most state laws require that officials provide a written explanation. Ask to be given any reasonably segregable portion of the record if parts are exempt from disclosure.

   Explain that you're willing to pay a reasonable fee (as outlined in the law) for copying costs and be sure to state the maximum amount you're willing to pay. Make clear that you're willing to pursue every legal remedy necessary, and note penalty provisions under the law for failure to release public records.

If you don't understand something in this Web note, please e-mail Dr. Sitton.