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Parts of controversial police report to be released

Friday, December 12, 2008

(Updated 3:04 pm)

By Amanda Lehmert
Staff Writer

GREENSBORO - The public will be allowed to view selected portions of the controversial Greensboro Police Department report, a Guilford County Superior Court judge ruled this week.

Superior Court Judge John O. Craig told Greensboro city attorneys they had to release a redacted version of the Risk Management Associates report's executive summary and introduction plus several portions of the appendix, including parts regarding a police officer's wife.

Other parts of the report - including the main body of it and memos about investigations into certain officers - could continue to be withheld under the state's personnel privacy law, Craig told the attorneys.

The documents will be released as part of a public records lawsuit against the city brought by bloggers Sam Spagnola and Roch Smith.

They requested dozens of documents stemming from controversies in the Greensboro Police Department and former Police Chief David Wray, and sued the city earlier this year after it failed to turn them over.

The report items and some City Council closed session meeting minutes could be released as early as next week, after the city compiles all the documents and Craig formally signs an order, City attorney Jo Peterson-Buie said Friday.