Senate bill would keep police names secret

A bill exempting law enforcement personnel from the Virginia Freedom of Information Act passed the Virginia Senate in a 25-15 vote last week.

The bill, proposed by Sen. John Cosgrove (R-Chesapeake) would amend the Va. Freedom of Information Act, which grants the public access to records of position, job classification, official salary or pay rate, and allowances or reimbursements for expenses paid to any officer, official or employee of a public body.

If passed, the bill would redefine, “the names and training records of law-enforcement officers personnel records would and excluded them from mandatory disclosure in FOIA request.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia is strongly opposed to the bill to the bill, according to Bill Farrar, director of public policy and communication of the ACLU.

“(The ACLU) opposes it because we generally side with open government and accountability for people who serve in public office,” Farrar said. “Regardless of who you or are what kind of job you have. “If you’re being paid with taxpayer dollars, your name and salary information should be available to the public,” Farrar said.

Farrar said the ACLU believes no state or government official should be given exemptions from disclosure.

Cosgrove introduced the bill as a way to protect the safety of law enforcement officials following a court ruling to allow the Virginia Beach newspaper, Virginian-Pilot access to their names and employment details in order to investigate if officers were being shifted throughout other localities.

Supporters of the bill see it as a safety measure for officers.

“It used to be that there was a healthy respect for law enforcement,” Cosgrove said to the Associated Press. “Now they’ve become targets of opportunity.”

Style Weekly reports that Sen. Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax) opposes the bill and thinks it would allow corruption among police. Other opposition comes from the Virginia Coalition for Open Government.

“You’re getting paid by the public. You don’t get to do that in secret,” said Megan Rhyne. the Executive Director of Virginia coalition for open government.

Megan Corsano, Contributing Writer