Protect the Badge and the Truth
Every day, police officers have to focus on the routine but meaningful work that comes with the badge. But hanging over every mundane moment is the dreadful specter that everything could go wrong in the blink of an eye. If it does, the officer is forced to decide in that moment if they should pull a trigger.
An entire career could be spent with care, diligence and honor, and it could all be called into question by a few seconds of decision making. As journalists, we don't pretend to know what that kind of responsibility is like, nor do we mean to diminish it. We understand the gravity of that work and understand why it's easy for officers to chafe at the scrutiny that comes with a critical examination of police shootings.
For journalists, however, the eye is always to understanding the truth of a situation—we know that the truth leads to better outcomes for everyone.
Right now Rep. Ryan Wilcox, R-Ogden, is readying well-intended legislation that unfortunately will lead to bad results. Right now, there is a kind of document known as a "Garrity statement." The name refers to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that gives law enforcement officers the same constitutional protections against self-incrimination as all Americans. It also gives police departments the ability to legally compel their officers to make a statement and cooperate with internal investigations with the assurance that these internal statements cannot be used against them in a criminal proceeding.
These internal Garrity statements help a department know if the officer followed policy or strayed from it at the critical moment that force is used. But Rep. Wilcox wants to hide Garrity statements from view, removing the public's ability to hold departments accountable for when officers aren't going "by the book."
Critics will argue that if made public, these statements could harm the work of law enforcement.
As journalists, we couldn't disagree more. Keep in mind, these records can't be used against an officer in court. A Garrity statement could be embarrassing to an officer—but it would not put them behind bars for a bad mistake.
A Garrity statement is also the ultimate proof of a department that is run right and trained well. It provides definitive evidence of a policy followed and executed properly. More than half of all U.S. states consider these documents public records, including Florida, Arizona and Texas.
Police face a daunting and difficult job, perhaps more challenging than it has been in a generation. They need all the help they can get. With public records comes the public awareness that can help departments tweak, fix and revamp inadequate policies. With public awareness, good departments and policies get the credit they are due.
Transparency and police work don't have to be at odds with one another. To share your support for keeping Garrity statements a matter of public record, please call or email your representatives to let them know that you support police and transparency, and you want them to vote against Rep. Wilcox's legislation.
ERIC S. PETERSON
President, Utah Headliners Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists
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