'Savannah Morning News' Asks Georgia Attorney General to Intervene in Dispute Over Crime Records

Posted Wednesday, January 7, 2009 12:00 am

By: The Savannah Morning News is asking the Georgia attorney general's office to intervene in a dispute with Savannah-Chatham County police over public access to crime reports.

The newspaper says the police department is violating the state Open Records Act because it has stopped providing copies of daily, accumulated incident reports for the public and reporters to inspect.

Savannah police spokeswoman Judy Pal said Wednesday the change was necessary because the department has begun switching to a paperless, electronic system for filing crime reports. The public can still request copies of individual reports.

Savannah Morning News publisher Michael C. Traynor says the law requires police to provide immediate access to all crime reports. He said he hopes the attorney general's office can mediate the dispute to avoid a lawsuit.

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'Savannah Morning News' Asks Georgia Attorney General to Intervene in Dispute Over Crime Records

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