South Florida cops out winning hearts and minds

[eauclaireliberal]

Police strike back at television reporter

A Broward police union put personal information on the Web about a reporter for a South Florida television station after he produced a piece called `Police Station Intimidation.'
BY JENNIFER LEBOVICH
[e-mail]

The personal information of an investigative reporter was posted prominently on a South Florida police union's website after a local television station aired a report about how police in Broward and Miami-Dade counties deal with the public.

The address, date of birth and driver's license number of WFOR CBS-4 reporter Mike Kirsch was posted as a BOLO -- or ''be on the lookout'' -- on the website of the Broward County Police Benevolent Association.

BOLOs typically are issued by police departments when officers are looking for criminals or missing persons.

The BOLO reads: ``Channel 4 News is doing a series on the complaint process at police departments in Dade and Broward. They are setting up officers and instigating confrontations, then filing complaints with the various agencies.''

Kirsch first learned about the BOLO from a colleague who saw the flier in a stack of BOLOs at a local police station. New Times reporter Jeff Stratton wrote about the BOLO last week.

Kirsch's personal information was removed from the website after a letter from the television station's lawyer. Kirsch's photo is now on the site.

Alan Rosenthal, an attorney for CBS-4, a Miami Herald news partner, demanded that the union remove the BOLO, calling it false and a violation of Florida and federal law that prohibits the disclosure of ``personal identifying information contained in motor vehicle records.''

`GOING TO WAR'

The reporter said the posting had concerned him and his family.

''I told my wife about it,'' Kirsch said. 'She's from Bosnia. She said, `It sounds like the cops are going to war with you, and you need to be careful.' ''

Kirsch said the BOLO ''reminded me this is an intimidation effect,'' he said. ``It might have a chilling effect on any news media establishment from doing their jobs and questioning the system and government. It's just disappointing.''

Lucy Dalglish, executive director of The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press in Arlington, Va., said the BOLO ``absolutely is an attempt to intimidate. And it's abusive and downright stupid.''

In its hidden-camera investigation, conducted with a national watchdog group called The Police Complaint Center, one person visited 38 agencies in Broward and Miami-Dade to ask about getting a form to file a complaint against an officer.

Only three of the police departments had such forms: Florida City, Homestead and Miami, according to CBS-4.

The forms are not required by law, though they are recommended by the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Kirsch noted that at many departments, police were courteous and professional, but in others they weren't.<<<<<MORE AT LINK

[RagingInMiami]

1. Yeah, that was messed up

[Maraya1969]

2. Ya think they got the idea from the Karl Rove?

[Neil Lisst]

3. they will pay for this indiscretion, and someone will lose his job

it's a pretty serious breach of duty

[northofdenali]

4. Sick bastards. This is a UNION pulling this shit?

Where are the cops with integrity who are members? They should be demanding a return of their dues. I hope the reporter sues the fuck out of them.

Boy, I'm pissed at a lot of stuff tonight. :mad:

Edited to K&R

[anitar1]

5. Ever noticed how ticked off some of us are by Friday night?

After a week of mostly bad news and listening to the usual from the criminal element in D.C., one begins to feel a bit testy.And this goes on 52 weeks a year.