Editorial: Police report is public concern

For the people of Nassau County to be protected by the police, two things have to happen: The people need to go to the authorities, believing help will be available, and the police need to respond dutifully in providing that protection.

That's why a report detailing the failure by county police to protect Jo'Anna Bird after she repeatedly went to them seeking assistance should be made public.

Bird was killed by her former boyfriend, Leonardo Valdez-Cruz, in March 2009. It's already been admitted by the county that at least seven officers failed to investigate at least four threatening visits by her killer to the home where Bird was staying just before she was murdered.

The dispute has arisen as part of a federal lawsuit in which Bird's family alleges Valdez-Cruz was protected by police because he was a confidential informant, and seeks millions of dollars in damages.

An October court ruling released a somewhat redacted version of the report to the lawyer for Bird's family but the county attorney has filed an injunction to keep the facts from public view. The county is arguing that because the report was generated by the police Internal Affairs Bureau and because it involves personnel matters, it can be kept under wraps.

In reality, the public has the right to know almost everything its servants do, almost all the time. The exceptions, often matters of national security, delicate ongoing contract negotiations, trade secrets and yes, some personnel matters, are rare. The fact that the investigation was conducted by internal affairs does not mean the conclusions drawn by the investigation need to stay internal.

The county's lawyers also say the release of this report could taint the potential jury pool for the family's suit. Since the department has admitted Valdez-Cruz's repeated visits to the home where Bird was staying were not properly investigated, this ship has likely sailed. That reasoning is further weakened by the fact that even if this report is kept from the public now, it will almost certainly be presented to any jury that is seated in the case later.

Now, in addition to the report being suppressed, the legal arguments presented by both sides about the secrecy of the report are being kept secret, a move Newsday and News 12 Long Island contested in a letter to the judge this week. The court should order the report released, as fully as possible, so the people may understand exactly what is going on in the department. We have a right to know whether they've been derelict, and to what extent. Whatever this report contains, minus redaction of any truly sensitive information, we have a right to know.

For police departments to work, they have to have the trust of the people, and deserve it. Fighting to keep secret the details in such a tragic case does nothing to bring that about. hN