Not every day on the public safety beat involves tragedy or disaster, but you still need to find the news if that's your beat. You can turn your attention to the day-to-day routines to find interesting articles that will make the public safety officials seem "human," thus a) endearing you to the officials and b) making the public realize the police officers, firefighters and EMT specialists have a job to do and it's not personal when that intersects with their lives.

   Following the funding issues of any department can answer questions about job satisfaction, e.g. it's hard to patrol an area when Public Safety is down to one squad car. What are they doing to compensate? Do we still have bicycle patrols? Have they thought about using horses? Are they patrolling more through electronic devices?

   Articles about code violations let people know where NOT to eat in town, which buildings are fire hazards, which neighborhoods or subdivisions are stuck on themselves, etc. Statistics about fire numbers, crimes and police behavior also make excellent stories, e.g. the Washington Post used police statistics to document that the Washington D.C. police force shot and killed more people per resident that any other large city police force in the nation.

   Local police departments typically post their crime statistics on their Web sites these days. These reports always make good stories because the public is interested if crime is rising or falling. Crime might actually be higher than statistics show because the figures only reflect reported crimes. Victims of sexual assault or domestic violence might not notify the police. So double-check and triple-check crime statistics.

    Covering campus crime can be difficult because colleges want to give the impression that students are safe. The university might even downplay or cover up major crimes that occur. However, colleges and universities must report all campus crime to federal authorities due to 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 potatoes" 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.

Story Ideas and Enterprise Tips from Covering Crime and Justice by Criminal Justice Journalists

1. An armament, ordinance and cop-toy primer. Does your police agency own a tank? Rocket-launchers? A cache of grenades? Robots? How and when are they supposed to be used? Some agencies don't want to talk about these things, but you won't know unless you ask.
2. Visit the police firing range. Fire police weapons and ask to go through training exercises. This story idea not only acquaints you with police equipment, but also usage protocols and your agency's gun training gurus.
3. Analyze petty crimes. You may know where your city ranks in murders, but what about theft, burglary and auto theft?
4. White collar crime. Does your police agency have a specialized unit to investigate corporate crime? Should it?
5. Take a comprehensive tour. Ask to visit all police facilities. Is there a special command center? That should be part of the tour, including remote offices, holding pens and lockups, booking areas, training facilities and even parking garages. The tour may or may not lead to a story, but will help you meet new sources and you'll understand your agency better
6. Review training procedures. Request a briefing on police training, both for recruits and experienced officers. Ask to sit in on training sessions. Get a copy of the agency's standard operating procedures, which is a public record in many jurisdictions.
7. Profile your agency's top cops. Outside of the sheriff and chief, who are the next tier of decision makers?
8. Walk through the arrest-to-arraignment procedures. May or may not lead to a story, but will acquaint you with conditions, bottlenecks, and other potential issues in the system.
9. Evaluate your agency. Consult with outside experts about the reputation of your agency. Is it known for doing something particularly well or poorly? Is it reactive, depending entirely on 911 calls, or does it include proactive policing? What could be improved?
10. Follow the buck. Scrutinize the police budget for leads on new initiatives and patrol strategies. Personnel costs and even building and grounds budget lines can lead to new stories.

   Reporting on disasters is similar to covering any other story. You still rely on the sources from your beat, though they may be busier than usual. Your goal should be the first to get the news and get it right. Reporting victims' names as well as the cause of the incident leads the information that you must know. In plane crashes, airlines release their passenger lists; in train crashes, Amtrack gives the list to local law enforcement, which typically will release it from there.

   If the National Transportation and Safety Board is on the scene, most other sources will refuse to speak. So always, MAKE SURE you're talking with someone with direct knowledge of a situation (instead of second-hand reports).

   During natural or human-made disasters, you'll also want to track down emergency management services personnel. Be careful when putting yourself in danger covering disasters while trying to get visuals. Also, be careful about becoming part of the story, i.e. don't fuel an individual's desire for publicity and notoriety (ala Virginia Tech).

   While monitoring the scanners, you'll get access to unverified information. Never run it until confirming it through the police officials. In hostage situations, you must balance the need to cover a dramatic story with the lives in danger during the crisis; human lives ALWAYS come first. Be wary of sensationalizing crime stories.