HomeMy WebLinkAboutNews Release - Mail Packet - 9/16/2014 - Information From Darin Atteberry Re: Article In Greeley Tribune Opinion: Weld Da Right To Release Names Of Officers Involved In ShootingsPage 1 of 3
Tribune Opinion: Weld DA right to
release names of officers involved in
shootings
We have a huge amount of respect for those who are assigned to protect our community.
Greeley police officers and Weld County sheriff’s deputies face danger every day, and when
they make split-second decisions to fire their weapons to protect themselves from a
perceived threat, well, we’re just glad we’re not put in that position or faced with that
decision.
That said, we support Weld District Attorney Ken Buck’s decision to release officers’ names
who are involved in shootings in certain situations. In fact, we think it’s long overdue.
Sept. 11, 2014
TO: Mayor & City Council
FROM: Darin Atteberry
FYI /sek
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Yes, officers who shoot and kill a citizen may face threats from friends, family members or
fellow gang members of the person they shoot. And yes, that can be terrifying for officers
and their families.
But the truth is: Many if not most other police departments outside of Weld County routinely
identify officers involved in shootings.
And there are many others in our system of justice — judges, for example, or prosecutors in
the district attorney’s office — who are responsible for sending criminals to jail and also face
serious threats of retaliation against them or their families. They, too, are routinely and
easily identified to the public.
The Fort Collins Police Department, for example, releases the names of officers routinely. In
fact, Deputy Chief Cory Christensen says all law enforcement agencies in Larimer County,
in partnership with the Larimer DA, follow the same protocol. And we know there are many
other law enforcement agencies around the state in which it is standard procedure to
release the name of officers involved in shootings, usually without exception.
“Fort Collins police believes that it is extremely important to be as transparent with our
community as is possible under legal constraints,” wrote Christensen in an email to The
Tribune. “This is never more true than when a peace officer uses deadly force. ... I have
been intimately involved in many officer involved shootings over the past 20 years and am
unaware of any instance where we have withheld the names of the officers involved.”
For us, the issues of transparency and trust are incredibly important, and we think the
decision to withhold officers’ names can inflict serious damage to police departments and
the relationship they have with their communities.
We need look no further than Ferguson, Mo., where a recent shooting by a police officer
resulted in multiple protests and marches that received national media attention. It was the
Ferguson police decision to not initially release the name of the officer and a strong mistrust
of police that sparked the protests.
“We have found that by being very open and honest in this area we have gained an
increased level of trust and understanding from our citizens,” Christensen wrote. “This is
extremely important to us.”
In that context, we’re puzzled when Weld Sheriff John Cooke accuses Buck of political
grandstanding and threatens to sue Buck if he releases the name of a Weld deputy involved
in a shooting.
The issue that local law enforcement agencies must face is that secrecy breeds mistrust.
Openness and transparency builds trust. It’s hardly political grandstanding when most other
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police departments come down on the side of openness and transparency, and we’re glad
to see that window begin to open at the Weld DA’s office.
— The Tribune Editorial Board
http://www.greeleytribune.com/news/opinion/12892922-113/officers-involved-police-weld