Open Records Act – The GRIP

GPD confirms second officer under investigation

August 4, 2017 by Sheila Mathews Leave a Comment

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: The GRIP has confirmed that Sgt. Dwayne Hancock, of the Griffin Police Department, is the subject of an Internal Affairs investigation. This follows a report two days ago that Lt. Curtis Keys is under formal investigation. Upon receiving information pertaining to this investigation, an Open Records request was submitted to the […]

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: Griffin, Griffin Police Department, Internal Affairs, investigation, Open Records Act, Sgt. Dwayne Hancock, spalding county, transparency in government

City manager responds to Open Records stand off

June 29, 2017 by Sheila Mathews 3 Comments

Publisher’s note: In response to an article that appeared in the June 8, 2017, print edition of The GRIP – City of Griffin, GPD Chief Yates refuse release of records; Records denied on officer who resigned in lieu of termination – Griffin City Manager Kenny Smith wrote the following letter to the editor, which was […]

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: Chief Mike Yates, City Manger Kenny Smith, Griffin, Griffin Police Department, Open Records Act, Sheila Mathews, spalding county, The GRIP, transparency in government

City of Griffin, GPD Chief Yates refuse to release records on officer allowed to resign in lieu of termination

June 15, 2017 by Sheila Mathews 1 Comment

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: The city of Griffin and Griffin Police Department Chief Mike Yates are refusing to release for review certain records pertaining to Tyler Cooper, formerly of the GPD, that were requested by The GRIP under the Georgia Open Records Act. The original request was made Feb. 3, and repeated efforts to obtain […]

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: Chief Mike Yates, Freedom of information, GBI, Griffin, Griffin Police Department, Joshua Howell, Open Records Act, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix, Teresa Watson, Tyler Cooper

Law enforcement videos now more expensive to obtain

October 5, 2016 by Sheila Mathews Leave a Comment

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: At a time when increasing numbers of law enforcement agencies – including the Griffin Police Department – are implementing the use of body worn cameras (BWCs), Georgia lawmakers have enacted new legislation making it more costly to obtain the interactions the video recordings these and others devices document. The legislation – […]

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: city of Griffin, Georgia Attorney General, Griffin, Jennifer Colangelo, Johnnie Caldwell, Open Records Act, Sam Olens, spalding county, transparency in government

County BoC to request Attorney General’s Office investigate Sheriff’s Office’s Open Records actions

October 19, 2015 by Sheila Mathews 1 Comment

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: The Spalding County Board of Commissioners on Monday approved by a 4-0 vote a motion to request an investigation by the Georgia Attorney General’s Office to determine whether the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office violated Georgia’s Open Records Act following its administrative Internal Affairs investigation of David Gibson, the former captain of […]

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: Attorney General's Office, David Gibson, Griffin, investigation, Open Records Act, Sheriff Wendell Beam, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff’s Office withheld records at will prior to issuance of court order

September 29, 2015 by Sheila Mathews Leave a Comment

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: “The General Assembly finds and declares that the strong public policy of this state is in favor of open government; that open government is essential to a free, open and democratic society; and that public access to public records should be encouraged to foster confidence in government and so that the […]

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: Amy Martin, Capt. Ron Buchanan, Capt. Tony Ranieri, David Gibson, Griffin, Johnnie Caldwell, Judge Mack Crawford, Open Records Act, Ruby King, Sheriff Wendell Beam, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office, temporary restraining order

David Gibson investigation: Court documents differ from Houston Co. Internal Affairs final report

July 23, 2015 by Sheila Mathews 1 Comment

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: The petition for declaratory judgment filed in Spalding County Superior Court that resulted in a temporary restraining order (TRO) sealing the Internal Affairs investigative record of David Gibson, former captain of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) Uniform Patrol Division, differs from information provided to Lt. Ronald Brainard, of the Houston […]

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: Capt. David Gibson, Griffin, Johnnie Caldwell, Open Records Act, Ruby King, sexual harassment, Sheriff Wendell Beam, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office, temporary restraining order

Restraining order obtained to seal recent Internal Affairs investigative record of former S.C.S.O. Capt. David Gibson

June 23, 2015 by Sheila Mathews 4 Comments

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: The Internal Affairs investigation of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office that resulted in former Capt. David Gibson’s retirement in lieu of termination has been sealed by Superior Court Judge Mack Crawford, of the Griffin Judicial Circuit. Upon receiving an Open Records request for this investigative record submitted by The Grip June […]

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: Capt. David Gibson, Griffin, injunction hearing, Johnnie Caldwell, Mack Crawford, Open Records Act, Sheriff Wendell Beam, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office, temporary restraining order