apparently many police depts feel they can ignore [f.o.i] laws

Begin forwarded message:

From: Jim Warren <jwarren <at> well.com>
Date: January 12, 2007 4:19:38 PM EST
To: calfoi <at> journalism.berkeley.edu, State and Local Freedom of  
Information Issues <FOI-L <at> LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>, Dave Farber  
<dave <at> farber.net>
Subject: apparently many police depts feel they can ignore [f.o.i] laws

[A former editor of mine just sent this URL to me.  The web-link has  
adverts that load first, from an outrageously turgid ad-"server", but  
if you wait long enough, the full article is worth the wait ... in an  
appalling sorta way.  The California Public Records Act is quite  
clear about much of what these law-"enforcement" agencies chose to  
refuse to do.  I suspect one would find similar disregard in most  
states, for their open-government "laws".  --jim]

> http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/ci_4999581

Audit: Cops deny records access
Survey gives median average score of 30 out of 100 to Bay Area  
departments

By Thomas Peele and Matt Krupnick, MEDIANEWS STAFF
Article Last Updated: 01/12/2007 07:04:09 AM PST

California law gives anyone the right to walk into a police  
department and inspect a wide variety of information, from crime and  
arrest reports to statistics on officer-misconduct complaints.