Varying response time of police departments confusing, peevish

On Thursday morning a sexual assault was reported to the Mount Pleasant Police Department and CM LIFE was able to easily obtain the police report from the department of the alleged incident by Thursday afternoon.

Yet, when a separate incident was reported to the CMU Police Wednesday morning, by Thursday afternoon only the barest details were made available to CM LIFE.

We understand the desire to protect the privacy of both the alleged victim and perpetrator, but we also believe that the information in the police reports – which become public record, more or less, once filed – should be released in their entirety, with names omitted.

It would be very simple, though slightly time consuming, to obtain the information via the Freedom of Information Act. However, we do not think it should have to come to such measures.

Yet, the willingness of one department and the declining of the other to divulge pertinent information is perplexing.