Day 2 of 474: Mixed results
A new law requiring Mississippi law enforcement agencies to make incident reports public record was met with mixed responses Tuesday, the day it went into effect.
Law enforcement officials say they intend to comply with the law, but some say they need more time to get a system in place. Some are disputing how quickly they need to make the reports public.
Writes Chris Joyner, First Amendment bulldog for The Clarion-Ledger: “…Police reporter Kathleen Baydala told me today that the Jackson Police Department is vaguely familiar with the law, but is not prepared to implement it. Based on the [questions] she was asked about it, it sounds like it hasn’t been read yet…”
The new law and goals for the future were the topic of a panel discussion Friday during MPA’s 142nd Annual Convention in Biloxi.