JOURNALIST: “ATMOSPHERE OF DISTRUST” ERODING PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN POLICE DEPARTMENT
|| By FITSNEWS || The police chief of Horry County, S.C. is being accused of withholding public information to journalists – and by extension, the public.
According to Steve Robertson – owner of My Horry News – police chief Sandra Rhodes and her staff are making it “increasingly difficult” for journalists in the area “to get routine information about crimes happening in Horry County.”
According to Robertson, the Horry County police have recently adopted “a new practice that blots out the names, addresses, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers of victims of crimes.”
Additionally, Robertson claims that on frequent occasions “entire sections of the part of the police report that explains the nature of the crime are blacked out and withheld from the public” by Rhodes’ department.
Robertson acknowledges that it is important to protect people’s privacy, but says Rhodes’ office is going to the extreme …
“Withholding the names and addresses of people accused of a crime is an entirely different matter,” he wrote. “And, heavily redacting the reports makes it almost impossible, at times, for us to write an accurate account of the alleged crime.”
Indeed …
We hope Rhodes amends this ridiculous policy … especially with this high-profile event looming in Horry County’s future.
38 comments
Seriously? they are complaining about the police department protecting the privacy of a citizen who has been acused of a crime, but is innocent until proven guilty? they are mad about them redacting the name of the victim?
id say its fine to say that a crime of a certain nature was committed in a certain neighborhood. but the other information should be kept private to protect the innocent (including the accused who isnt guilty until a jury finds them to be so)
“… entire sections of the part of the police report that explains the nature of the crime are blacked out and withheld from the public.”
Leave out the name of the victim, much of the information about the accused perpetrator, and “entire sections of the part of the police report that explains the nature of the crime”, and what have you got?
Pretty much nothing.
“Leave out the name of the victim, most of the information about the accused perpetrator, and “entire sections of the part of the police report that explains the nature of the crime”, and what have you got?”
youve got a way to validate the claims of witnesses who come forward with information that wasnt given to the media. How many “eye-witnesses” were proven to be perjuring themselves with their accoutn of what happened to michael brown
So is everything based on what happened in Furguson MO, now? If so, that’s messed up.
thats a relatively curent example, however there are plenty of cases all over the country ever year about someone who was portrayed as guilty of some violent crime in the press, only to be found innocent.
and everywhere all over the country some “eye-witness” saw them do it, when really all they wanted was to feel important so they lie to the police. this is why police agencies withhold details from the press. they use the knowledge of withheld information to verify the claims of witnesses
Specious arguments at best.
Nothing specious at all.
I used to be a prosecutor.Ive been involved in many cases where so called eyewitnesses saw ,in many cases,
Nothing.
I thought the headline said “horny police chief”.
“… is being accused of withholding public information to journalists …”
One would hope so! … There is such a thing as personal privacy, although to many journalists that is not limited to ‘public figures”.
I had a chance to see a police report just a few months ago. I was happy to see that my own name was “redacted” and otherwise blocked out, as I was not the perp.
speaking of personal privacy, have you heard about the PCNA which just passed the house (yes votes from joe wilson btw) that incentivses corperations like internet, telecomm, and tv companies to circumvent the 4th amendment for the federal government? theres no such thing as privacy any more
What is it about “public” information that confuses you?
when does the information become public? surely information that is relevant to an ongoing investigation shouldnt be printed as it could contaminate potential evidence, and predispose juries to opinions that were not admitted in court.
Chief better prays that she doesn’t step in a deep mud puddle
With all that damn metal on her jacket/blouse she would go down faster than GT on a Libertarian Dick
“Chief better prays that she doesn’t step in a deep mud puddle.”
Looks like she already did.
Racist asshole.
How gentlemanly (and selective and typical) of you…to jump to her defense…
But doesn’t that make you JUST as racist???…LMAO…
sharp outfit – and I would bet she has a perfect trim…..
“With all that damn metal on her jacket/blouse she would go down faster than GT on a Libertarian Dick”
You mean “Liberaltarian Dick”.
“According to Robertson, the Horry County police have recently adopted ‘a new practice that blots out the names, addresses, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers of victims of crimes.’”
The fuck does he want their Social Security numbers for? Jesus Christ.
Good point.
One would think a so called “libertarian” like Fits would be “concerned” about that.
fits doesnt give 2 shits about personal privacy, as evident by his lack of coverage over the CPNA that encourages corperations to bypass the 4th ammendment on behalf of the govt. voted for by joe wilson and trey gowdey, and for what its worth jim clyburne too. they are traitors to their constituents
Jon Galt is a character in “Atlas Shrugged” – All Ayn Randys know that…
Really?WOW!Youre a real smart guy!
I’m thinking FITS had to throw that in there. That sounds like the kind of Bull-$#!t he uses to slant a story…(And Robertson is VERY successful, and NOT a liberal)…He’s the anti-Sun News…
That one is a stumper. No idea.
This will be a hard one (in MB) for Boz: He HATES Rhodes, and her name is Rhodes…but she ‘FITS’ the profile that Boz (and FITS) usually pander to, and side with…and she is not the profile that they HATE…(W-M-S-R)
But: Boz is usually in bed w/ the media. He helped get the Sun News sued after they accused a man of crimes he did not commit…all because the man was once a Republican officer holder…and the media – and Boz – wanted the lies being told about him—to be true…
How much money did the Sun News lose on that one, Boz..LMAO…? (it was about the time FITS and Boz were quarreling)…so FITS may have been scared Boz would get him sued (and lose) too…
I do not hate either person named Rhodes to whom you are referring. You’re working off of old information on one of them, ignoring everything I’ve said about him in the last year. And on the other, you’re ignoring everything I’ve ever said about her, which has been all positive. I am addressing the situation, not the individual.
As for the Kelley v Wrenn case, do you ever wonder why the verdict is not cited as case law in similar trials? Simple explanation: It is still under appeal. Not a penny has been paid, so TSN lost nothing. How you conclude I ever “helped them get sued” is beyond me. You overestimate my influence even more than I do.
All criminals appeal…especially Big Media w/ lot of trial lawyers…
Not to mention: You can always go to Obama for a pardon…I’m sure he’s on your side…
And: “everything I’ve ever said about her, which has been all positive.”
LMAO…What a surprise…Hahahaha…just like I predicted…
No, idiot. I like her because generally she’s doing a great job. She’s my friend on Facebook. lol I don’t have friends on Facebook that I hate.
I mentioned that the Kelley v Wrenn verdict is still under appeal because you specifically stated that TSN lost money because of it. A lie. They have lost nothing.
What?…Who brought race into it???…Guilty conscience???…LMAO..
Like I said: You – like FITS- are so predictable…
PS: I never said she wasn’t Conservative…I said she is the type you admire…no questions asked, based on your track record. Even if she is snubbing the media..(which you are characteristically against)…..and you proved me correct…
LMAO!!!The one he falsely accused of a DUI and had to back track after the man went on the radio and apparently threatened to sue him while defending himself.That was after he attended a city council meeting dressed like the Big Lebowski and while apparently stammering and sweating profusely, demanded the same man resign as mayor.They apparently laughed Boz out of the chamber.
Boz apparently harassed the poor lady at TSN that covered city council and the mayor that it was apparently becoming a ‘legal’ issue-about the time of all the lies and misrepresentations The Sun News was apparently putting forward about the MBACC and Kelley. In my opinion Boz helped get em sued as he kept perpetuating on social media all the apparent falsehoods the writer and TSN were spewing about Kelley.
Boz is the reason they no longer have the Sun News Opinion Blog at the Sun News,in my opinion.He threatened to sue several bloggers…some that had businesses in the area…it got really bad…although he would get banned he would soon return as apparently TSN was afraid of being sued themselves…the one editor wouldn’t put up with his shit but left…he would harass anonymous contributors like he does on here if they disagreed with him…they ended up going to a Facebook format and no longer have any discussion on TSN that is worth a damn thing.
CORRECTION>>.meant to post several contributors/bloggers threatened to sue Boz on the old SNOB for libelous comments..two of them own businesses in Murrels Inlet/Pawley’s Island area…one was a real estate developer/Time Shares?….one was an author…since deceased…
GREAT Info. Thank you…You reveal the damage these narcissistic @$$-holes pose…
Many Liberal-Tarian types are really just envious of the power others have earned. FITS is the same..they don’t give a S#!t about the people…they just want to run it all…and feed their greed and ambition…Sanford is a PERFECT example…he’s just a good actor, acting as if he cares….
Since Republicans are in power…Boz attacks them, and he can get help from the media, because they hate the GOP just as much as Boz does…The media wants to believe the Bull-$#!t Boz (and FITS) manufacture – so the media ends up getting sued because they act on Boz’s Bull-S#!t…
How much longer before FITS gets sued under the jail, for the same reason Boz is getting The Sun News sued????
It’s irresponsible and immature…and any professional is stupid to fall for their Bull-$#!t…
Why is a persons name, address, etc public information just because he or she is the victim of a crime. Should I not be allowed to request that information not be provided to the press. What if I don’t want everyone and their brother knowing my house was robbed, what was stolen, or if I was assaulted, raped, etc. And why the hell would the press need the victim’s date of birth or social security number?
Do you have any idea, what could happen if a persons, name, address, DOB and SSN becomes public information?
Like!
I fully agree!!!! Horry County has had no shortage of its on special flavor of corruption by law enforcement higher-ups in recent years. If this is the worst they have on the lady, then I believe she is a “keeper”.
own
I know some information was posted on this site earlier, but has anyone been paying attn. to the man in Richland County who is dead? Based on all that I read, his brother, or other family member called the police to the house because he was threatening to injure himself with a knife. Sounds Suicidal. Well, the police show up and – BOOM! The man was shot and now dead.
Way to solve a suicide????
So much for “innocent until proven guilty”.
Not that this website has any such beliefs or makes any effort to avoid convicting people merely accused of crimes.