First step took me to the San Francisco Police Department's Public Affairs office, inconveniently way out at 850 Bryant. Once through the metal detectors, I tried to solve their mixed up directory.
Up I went to the Bureau of Criminal Investigation to request I crime report. I had a bunch of crimes written down that I'd found on the city's crime map, case number, date, time... Not being directly involved in the crime, I was asked my interest: journalist.
So they sent me up to Media Relations (I was about to go there anyway). First of all, Officer Dwayne Tulley is retired. I don't know if he would've been more flexible about helping me out, but the cops up there are lazy and difficult.
They only deal with the main-stream media, Chronicle, Examiner, and such. This of course sounded like bullshit, so I argued. Turns out it is bullshit, but legal. Them turning me away does not break the California Public Records Acts. I'm still given access to these records, but I'm required to go through the public's door, the Bureau of Criminal investigation, right where I'd come from. The old run-around.
But an Officer from Media Relations was nice enough to accompany me back down, so as to explain my situation to the people behind the windows. This is where I found a discrepancy in the system, one that fully interrupts the public right of access.
The case number that is given on the crime map is not the incident number, which is required to look up a crime report. It's only the Computer-Aided Design code, CAD number. No officer I spoke to seemed to know where I could actually find an incident number.
I was invited back behind the counter to search up old incidents in my area, and got an auto theft report, but it's from January, so I'm still in the market for a recent report.
What I've tried since has failed as well. I've gone to my station to get a newsletter from them, describing any recent crimes, but they don't have any hard copies and I still haven't received any promised email copy.
I've also just tried hanging out for hours in my neighborhood in hopes of seeing a crime first hand, so that I could get the number on the spot.
What to do, what to do?
Go to the Chauncey Bailey trial with us(:
ReplyDeleteAgreed!
ReplyDeleteOn another note, how frustrating! Seems like such information should definitely be made public. At least you met that officer who helped you out. I usually advocate persistence in cases such as this, as persistence shows determination (and if nothing else, so annoying one feels inclined to comply). But sounds like this Bureau is pretty serious, so maybe a different approach other than the legal system. First accounts, neighbors around where the incident happened?
Good luck man!
I would say come go to the Chauncy Baily Trial either for tuesday or wednesday, and if you still feel the urge to find another crime story, go back to the station. the Chauncy Baily could be your back up.
ReplyDelete