RI ACLU Asks Fung for Full Report on Cranston Police Dept. Investigation
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RI ACLU Asks Fung for Full Report on Cranston Police Dept. Investigation
Mayor FungThe American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island called on Cranston Mayor Allan Fung to release the full, unredacted report on the State Police Investigation into the Cranston Police Department. The ACLU noted that Mayor Fung's state plan to consult the Attorney General about what information would be appropriate to release under the state's Access to Public Records Act (APRA) was "unnecessary and unwarranted."
ACLU Letter to Fung
In a letter that was faxed to Mayor Fung on Wednesday, the ACLU explained that the state's APRA outlines what information, like personnel records and investigations, the state can withhold from disclosure to the Public.
“In many respects, the report is at bottom an examination of personnel and investigative matters, and so reliance on APRA exemptions ultimately serves merely as an excuse to withhold vital information from the public. The City should not seek to use APRA as a shield to withhold disclosure of critically important information from an investigation of alleged serious abuses of the public trust,” states the letter.
The letter also notes that asking the Attorney General for advice was “likely to delay – for weeks, if not months – public access to this critical report. However, the public deserves answers now.”
The Letter Concludes
The Letter concludes by saying "“In a recent statement, you said that your ‘intention has always been transparency about this report.’ Because the Access to Public Records Act does not in any manner stand in the way of the report’s disclosure, and withholding it runs counter to your stated interest in transparency, we urge prompt release of the report this week.”
