A bill which would protect the identity of law enforcement officials was tabled by the Virginia House of Delegates General Laws subcommittee Thursday.
This bill would classify the names and training records of police and fire marshals as “personnel records” and would be exempt from mandatory disclosure under Freedom of Information Act requirements. The bill was originally proposed by state Sen. John Cosgrove (R-Chesapeake) as a protection against the personal targeting of officers.
The Virginia Senate approved the bill Feb. 15. It was then sent to the House of Delegates, where it was read and assigned to the General Laws subcommittee.
Proponents of the bill have repeatedly claimed it is intended only to protect law enforcement, and it would not be misused.
A few states have introduced legislation with similar goals recently, but SB 552 is the first to completely prohibit access to the personal information of police officers. Oregon recently passed a bill which would delay the release of a police officer’s name to the public for 90 days, if given approval by a judge.
Critics of the bill have argued it provides police forces, who are already being questioned at the national level by both politicians and the public, with ways to hide misconduct and corruption. Others have raised concerns regarding the blanket exemptions provided by the bill.
Cosgrove did not respond to requests for comment.
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