Maryland

October 8, 2008: Sometimes public records are also police records. Some police records, for obvious reasons, are not available to the public. You would no doubt get a polite “no” if you asked the police for the names and addresses of confidential informants.

But citizens sometimes need copies of police records — for instance, an accident or burglary report to support a claim made to an insurance company. According to police, the department releases about 19,000 reports each year to individuals and insurance companies. Read the full editorial here.

Those in attendance at packed commissioners meeting got few answers
August 8, 2008: Believe it. Trust them.

The constituency had questions. They demanded answers and the Allegany County commissioners and staff offered almost none. Read the full article here.

Paying for public records
July 24, 2008:The University Park Town Council is considering a resolution that would require residents to pay for access to public records.

However, Councilman Ed DeSaussure (Ward 7) said at Monday’s council meeting that the resolution could deter residents from obtaining files that are legal public record under the Maryland Public Information Act. Read the full article here.

Openness in government can get pricey for the average resident who wants access to information
July 11, 2008: Under Maryland law, all government e-mails are considered public documents, open to being viewed by the public, so long as they don’t contain sensitive personnel information or refer to ongoing legal actions or land transactions. Governments are obligated to provide copies of public communications if requested under the federal Freedom of Information Act.

However, there is a loophole. Read the full article here.

Transparency & Government

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