A working relationship with the press

Best case scenario- elected officials, public agencies, & a free and independent press work together to keep people informed.

JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society-

What a working relationship with the press looks like:

Human error blamed for $3 million Washington State ferry motor meltdown

Note- event took place in Nov & investigation has been completed and shared with the public.

Please compare to the local Border Patrol whistleblower investigation which took more than a year to complete & resulted in further suppression of information:

Local whistleblower steps forward-

US Border Patrol, Port Angeles, WA-

Aug 2010-

A US Border Patrol spokesperson tells the press:

“Border Patrol spokeswoman Jenny Burke said Monday that the agency will not release any information on the number of arrests made by agents who work out of the Port Angeles station, the names of those arrested, what they were arrested for and the disposition of their cases”

“The number of arrests for Port Angeles’ or any other station is “law enforcement-sensitive,” Burke said.”

“The names of those arrested and other facts about them are not available for release under the 1974 Privacy Act, she said.”

Aug 2011-

“In March, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Richard Sinks declined to release statistics on apprehensions or detainments made by the Port Angeles station.”

“Disclosure of the arrest statistics from the Port Angeles station would provide those interested in crossing our borders illegally with information that could aid their strategic targeting of potentially vulnerable areas along the border,” he said in an e-mail. “To maintain operational security these numbers will not be provided.”

Imagine a school district wanting to expand staff and facilities and, at the same time- suppressing public information Re: the number of students enrolled, teachers on staff and number of students graduated in the past 36 months.

“…the Border Patrol has refused to divulge the number of agents in Port Angeles…”

Sept 2012-

Denied FOIA requests-

“The Border Patrol has refused repeated requests by the Peninsula Daily News — including those made under the Freedom of Information Act — for arrest totals for the Port Angeles station, which covers a territory that includes Clallam and Jefferson counties.”

Port Angeles USBP station- grand opening:

“Jones asked a Peninsula Daily News reporter to interview only Border Patrol personnel selected by the agency and to confine interviews of selected personnel to topics concerning the station’s opening.”

No topics to be discussed unless pre-approved by the agency in question.

Background-

Secret arrest statistics are un-American

A Very Effective Information Suppression Campaign

Local whistleblower steps forward-

Related-