Without FOIA the public would still be in the dark

We can only defend our fundamental rights if transparency and freedom of information are guaranteed and protected. In the USA this is guaranteed by the FOIA, the Freedom of Information Act. Like data protection, FOIA only applies to the state, private companies and that is e.g. 20% of all prisons remain in the dark.

Open The Government reports: without FOIA, this story wouldn’t be possible, and the public would still be in the dark while the information remains concealed.

Louisville Police hid 738k records in sex abuse scandal

The Louisville Courier-Journal recently broke an important story detailing how the Louisville Metro Police Department hid over 738,000 records in an investigation into a sex abuse scandal in the Explorers Scout program -- a program designed to provide guidance and mentorship to youth who are interested in a career in law enforcement.

The story illustrates just how vital it is that journalists have access to information through the Freedom of Information Act. Frankly: without FOIA, this story wouldn’t be possible, and the public would still be in the dark while the information remains concealed.

Unfortunately, this type of secrecy is not unusual for Louisville Police. The department has a record of opposing transparency and accountability, evidenced by similar efforts to withhold information from the public in the wake of the killing of Breonna Taylor earlier this year.

All in all, stories like these underscore how critically important it is that we have strong public records laws so that law enforcement agencies are held accountable for their conduct. FOIA made this important story possible, and Open The Government will ALWAYS stand on the side of strengthening our public records laws. The next important tasks are

• Establishing a comprehensive federal database of use of force incidents
• Stop militarizing police under a cloak of secrecy
• End qualified immunity for police officers
• Applying the Freedom of Information Act to private prisons

Read more https://www.openthegovernment.org/long-lasting-police-reform-must-embrace-transparency-to-be-effective/

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