Victim names are now redacted in Cleveland police reports provided to the public, thanks to a relatively new state law. As public officials, City Council members believe they're still entitled to that information.CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland City Council members and Mayor Justin Bibb’s law director are at odds over the city’s interpretation of Marsy’s Law, a relatively new state law that seeks to protect victims of crime.
The dispute came to a head Wednesday during a meeting of council’s Safety Committee. Though the meeting ended with seemingly no resolution, Griffin and council members pledged to keep talking, in an attempt to sort out their disagreement. Ohio Revised Code says that “any public office or public official that is charged with the responsibility of knowing the name, address, or other identifying information of a victim or victim’s representative as part of the office’s or official’s duties” is entitled to the names of crime victims.Councilman Joe Jones on Wednesday said council members fit that definition, because their official duties include improving neighborhood conditions and ensuring Cleveland’s safety.
Griffin, however, said he wasn’t alone in his interpretation. He said the city checked with Columbus and Akron, and several Cleveland and Columbus suburbs. All had interpreted the law as he had, and members of those legislative bodies aren’t receiving victim names either, Griffin said.
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