Seattle Police admit violating open records act
Seattle Police Department admits it violated open records act by withholding May Day memo
SEATTLE (AP) -- The Seattle Police Department is admitting it broke public records laws in Washington state when it withheld from The Seattle Times an internal memo about its response to riotous May Day demonstrations in 2012.
The Times reports (http://is.gd/BulcFi ) the police department has agreed to pay $20,000 to the newspaper and its attorneys to avoid a lawsuit over the issue.
In a settlement signed by Interim Police Chief Jim Pugel, the police department acknowledges it should have turned over the report or cited a valid exemption to the Public Records Act.
The Times filed a public-disclosure request for the memo in July. The internal report on the police department's May Day response led to an external review.
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Information from: The Seattle Times, http://www.seattletimes.com
