news-record.com

Greensboro’s new City Council took an important step Thursday toward building trust with the public. It voted unanimously to release more information about sexual assault allegations against three police officers.

The particular case is disturbing — perhaps evidence of "whatever meltdown that may be occurring" in the Police Department, in Mayor Yvonne Johnson’s words.

More encouraging, however, is the change in attitude the council has expressed.

Previously, as City Manager Mitchell Johnson implied in an article published on last Saturday’s Second Opinion page, the official inclination was to deny disclosure "... if the law does not require release and the release of the information is not, in the opinion of the investigators, beneficial to the investigation ..."

Now, the council will push for release of information unless the law requires it to be withheld.

"This is the way we want things handled," Mayor Johnson said Friday. "We’ve never really said that. And we will be saying that."

Once that becomes standard operating procedure at City Hall, it won’t be necessary for the council to hold emergency meetings every time a conflict arises about release of information. There won’t be conflicts if the governing principle is that the public has the right to know more, not less.

There may be times when the council decides that some information must be shielded to protect an investigation or an individual’s rights. Every detail of a criminal matter or complaint of a city employee’s possible misconduct doesn’t need to be discussed openly, but basic facts shouldn’t be kept secret. Where, when and under what circumstances three on-duty police officers were accused of committing criminal offenses are facts that simply must be disclosed.

The council’s debate about openness Thursday was healthy. The 5-4 vote to discuss in closed session the question of disclosure showed there are legitimate disagreements about how a public body should deal with sensitive issues. Two council members, Trudy Wade and Mary Rakestraw, refused to participate in the closed meeting. Whether excluding themselves from the private debate best serves their constituents’ interests is a tough judgment call.

Nevertheless, the outcome was positive, and so is the council’s determination to favor openness except when legal requirements dictate otherwise. This approach puts the council on the side of the people and builds trust, an essential commodity when elected representatives tackle issues like Police Department turmoil where public concern is high.