The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is, like most other Sheriff's Offices, a place of records and access that many people do not realize they have at their fingertips. Although this information is accessible, it's important to understand how to go about accessing it and what cannot be withheld from you as a citizen.
Deputy Larry McKinnon shared with us a lot of information about gathering records containing specific information, and the paper trail that follows after an individual is arrested and put into their database. From criminal reports to Individual Charge Reports, the history of most criminal activity is available to those who know where to look. In this case, it is the Sheriff's office in Ybor City.
Well, once you've figuered out where to look, you must understand how to look. Deputy McKinnon put a huge emphasis on Statute 119 and the importance, as reporters or researchers in general, of understanding your rights to government documents to avoid being misled.
The deputy then went on to share with us the importance on his end of keeping a relationship with the media that is positive and open. When a reporter is denied access, suspicions will only rise and will not leave anyone with a positive feeling about what is not being exposed. Rather than let the media prowl for what may end up being false information, Deputy McKinnon made clear the importance of being upfront and honest, a policy that never goes out of style.
We were also given the opportunity to visit the 911 call center. Many people may imagine this to be a frantic place that constantly deals with emergency calls that could result in life or death, but this isn't the case. it's actually a calm room with few employees at a time. Actually, the most frequent calls, Senior Dispatcher Elliott Lopez explains, are the calls that are non emergencies or chronic callers. The list could go on, but every call is taken seriously, as chronic callers are liable to be arrested.
The visit overall is not what anyone may expect to come across when entering a Sheriff's Office or a 911 Call Center, but it is reality. Life happens all around us and seems worse than it is at times. This visit goes to show that while crime and emergencies are only a small portion of reality on a daily basis here in Hillsborough County, it is still taken seriously and addressed in the public eye.
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I enjoyed you post very much because I felt like it explained the steps of how to obtain information very easily. You explained one steps well and then moved on to the next one. You also gave a nice personal touh at the end by adding some personal thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that you have a similar tendency as myself, which is to use a lot of run-on sentences! Don't be afraid to end the sentence after one thought and then begin a next. Even if they are short sentences. With run-ons, the thoughts become lost... and we never want our reader to be lost. Let's both make a conscious effort to write shorter sentences =) I think you did a good job of giving the reader a synopsis of the visit to the HCSO... good job!
ReplyDeleteYour blog made some really good points. I like how you mentioned that once you've figured out where to look for documents, you have to then understand how to look for them. I also like that you mentioned Deputy McKinnon's point about honesty being a policy that never goes out of style. You did a really good job.
ReplyDeleteI thought your blog was good and informative to the reader. I would have like to see some links in this blog, but I did the the title. Good Blog.
ReplyDeleteI think you’ve done a great job of covering all details from our trip to HCSO. You offer some great tips on how to access the public records available to journalists. Your title is short, but well clarifying.
ReplyDeleteI like the intro of your blog. I felt like you gave enough information to prepare the reader for the types of things that happen at a sheriffs office.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you mention statue 119 and how it pertains to the PIO's duties of having an open and honest raport with reporters.
Lastly the links make it easier for newby's to find the material you are discussing. Very Nice Job!
Nice post. Great emphasis on the relationship between the HCSO and the media. These days it's all about image and even the HCSO has to maintain one. Things can only get worse if people are with holding information. By keeping things very open, you avoid conflict or any problems that could arise. Besides, if you withhold information, eventually the truth comes out.
ReplyDeleteSimilar to my blog, this could use some photos. That's not to say that the content here isn't quality. I would just like to see something that makes it stand out. I do appreciate the fact that your blog is direct and straight to the point. The 4th paragraph I especially enjoyed. Very informative!
ReplyDeleteThis blog is very straight forward and blunt. The facts and quotes back up the information and I found this blog to be interesting.
ReplyDeleteNice job stating what McKinnon said in a more condensed, informative format. I like how you blog about the transparency that should occur between media and government. Layout is colorful too.
ReplyDeleteThe 911 call center was really a great experience. I never really thought about what it would be like in one...
ReplyDeleteGood post and update! Very informative, and I especially liked the bit about the 119 statute. Seem like that is the HCSO's media bible!
ReplyDeleteGood intro. The blog as a whole was succinct and to the point. Well done.
ReplyDelete