Recent revisions to Mississippi's public records laws may allow media to get more information from local police departments.
House Bill 474, effective July 1, will make certain police records available to the public upon request.
This will require police departments to give the basic who, what, when, where aspects of some cases, said Oxford Police Assistant Chief Joey East.
Nonetheless, police departments may withhold information in a case in order to protect the victim, witness, or specific investigative information that may compromise a case, East explained.
"I don't like it a whole lot. What I have a problem with is it says that we have to give people's names and addresses," said East.
Oxford police may give the exact location of a burglary or murder.
However, in more sensitive cases, police may not give the exact location in order to keep media from exposing the victim or witness' identity, East explained.
"When the public is in danger, we will give as much information as possible," he said, in an effort to reassure the public.
"It's a give and take relationship," East said about the media and the Oxford Police Department.
East promised to give as much information as he could to the media, as long as he can trust them to print the actual facts.
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