The Department told the civil rights group to wait until the completion of a “comprehensive after action report.” Its hope was to finish it by the end of the year. However, the department also indicated the possibility that it may not release the requested records regarding the protest.
Phoenix Police Department allegedly violates the law
The ACLU Foundation of Arizona argued that the Phoenix Police Department violates the State’s public records law. Its unwillingness to promptly release the records directly contradicts the primary purpose of the law—to provide transparency.
Under the Arizona law, all records should be “open to the public for inspection.” The law also mandates prompt compliance with public-records request. Failure to do so constitutes a “wrongful denial,” according to the civil rights group.
In a statement, ACLU of Arizona Legal Director Kathy Brody, “The department failed to protect the First Amendment rights of demonstrators that night.”
“Now, the public deserves to see the critical records documenting the Phoenix Police Department’s actions. The department must stop withholding the information about how and why officers used violent force and sent many Arizonans home with cuts, bruises, and other injuries.”
