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The Police Reports you can access through our site are "public information" in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act Title 5. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was passed in 1966 by Congress. Certain records are restricted from being released, but the FOIA has noticably accelerated the release of documents and records in the information age.
According to The Freedom of Information Act 5 U.S.C. § 552, As Amended By Public Law No. 104-231, 110 Stat. 3048, "§ 552. Public information; agency rules, opinions, orders, records, and proceedings (a) Each agency shall make available to the public information as follows: (1) Each agency shall separately state and currently publish in the Federal Register for the guidance of the public-- (A) descriptions of its central and field organization and the established places at which, the employees (and in the case of a uniformed service, the members) from whom, and the methods whereby, the public may obtain information, make submittals or requests, or obtain decisions; (B) statements of the general course and method by which its functions are channeled and determined, including the nature and requirements of all formal and informal procedures available; (C) rules of procedure, descriptions of forms available or the places at which forms may be obtained, and instructions as to the scope and contents of all papers, reports, or examinations; (D) substantive rules of general applicability adopted as authorized by law, and statements of general policy or interpretations of general applicability formulated and adopted by the agency; and (E) each amendment, revision, or repeal of the foregoing."
Under this imporant law, citizens are allowed to make an unlimited number of requests for information, and those requests must be responded to (with certain exceptions.) The full text of the FOIA law can be read here. |
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