A public records audit of the Fletcher, NC police department conducted June 01, 2015 demonstrated that the office was out of compliance with NCGS § 132. A few follow up emails and 49 hours later the request was honored and it appears the Town of Fletcher is willing to comply with their mandate, the initial denial seems to have been ignorance of their responsibilities under the law. The fourth and final email from the Police Chief is troubling as his words seem to attempt to revise what actually happened. The request was made 10 days after both reports were submitted and while it is unlikely that either one was still 'pending approval,' it might require a FOIA request to prove it. The other claim that the department changing to new 'reporting software' is clearly disingenuous as the video clearly demonstrates that the request was outright denied because they "don't do that." I am terribly curious to know who instructed the clerk to deny the request. The department is relatively small with fewer than 20 officers. It is very likely that it was the Chief himself who instructed the denial and his email language is a bit of "CYA" on the advice of the town attorney. It is likely that the chief, being unaware that the encounter was recorded, thought by writing a new narrative he could absolve his department of violating the law. A practice often alleged about police reports written after the fact being used to create new charges etc... Times have changed... It is important for activists to withhold their video evidence until after reports are written so that the practice of falsifying reports to fit the narrative of those who are writing them can be brought to light and eliminated.

• published: 06 Jun 2015
• views: 447