The Massive Number of Public Records Requests for Slain Lakewood Officers' Personal Information? Not One. Pathetic Scare Mongering.

After four Lakewood police officers were murdered in a coffee shop, public sympathy was (understandably) sky high. Seizing the opportunity, a lobbyist for a police organization testified to the Legislature that the City of Lakewood was "barraged" with public records requests for the victims' personal information, including the birth dates and Social Security numbers of their children. The solution was a new exemption from public disclosure.

Cop-killing stalkers trying to track down the slain officers' children? That would be horrible.

And a total lie.

Lakewood only received one public records request for the information (from the coffee shop's insurance company).

This is pathetic scare mongering. Trying to make government less accountable by using dead police officers and their children. This needs to stop.