Editorial: We need more police transparency
Timely release of information is a matter of public health
Essay by Stephanie Nakhleh
Photos by Minesh Bacrania
As a journalist, I think it's important that the community gets quick, accurate information about car crashes — not to sensationalize someone’s tragedy, but because road safety is a public health issue. In any matter of public safety, transparency is key. If we’re working in the dark, we can't identify patterns or craft effective policies to protect people. If we want to prevent future tragedies and make informed decisions about transportation safety, we have to understand the risks on our roads.
The Los Alamos Police Department’s approach to releasing crash information is inconsistent. Sometimes, there’s a press release or Facebook post, but critical details — like how many people were injured or what caused the crash — are often withheld. We usually have to file public records requests, leading to frustrating delays.
For example, after the Feb. 27 fatal crash on the Truck Route, it took four months for Boomtown to obtain the full 199-page report. When it was finally released, vital details, such as texting being the likely cause, were buried on page 182. In contrast, after the Sept. 6 crash near Camino Entrada, we received a three-page preliminary report within days — a step forward, but it shows how inconsistent the LAPD’s policy is. (Details of both of those crashes are here.)
Forcing the media to file an IPRA (Inspection of Public Records Act) request and withholding key information isn’t standard practice in many communities. IPRA was designed in service to transparency but somehow has become a barrier to it.
In most cities, police voluntarily release details without delay. In Billings, MT, for instance, police issued a detailed statement the same day as a fatal crash, including the vehicles involved and contributing factors like speed. Similarly, in Barron County, WI, police identified the people involved in a deadly collision and the suspected cause — a driver distracted by her phone — within 11 days. Closer to home, police in Santa Fe released details of a February fatal crash within a day.
This kind of timely and transparent communication should be the norm. The LAPD owes us an explanation for why their policy differs.
I understand that details from a fatal crash can be painful to read and may feel too personal. But journalism is about providing clarity and speed in matters of public interest. Reporting on a fatal car crash is no different from reporting on a mass shooting, a disease outbreak, or a toxic spill — these are all public safety issues that require community awareness and informed conversations.
I speak from personal experience. In 1988, when I was a teenager in Los Alamos, I survived a fatal car crash that killed my best friend, Jennifer Fleming. She was only 16. The Los Alamos Monitor published our names, the driver’s name, photos of the wreck — and even, as the reporter got them, details about our injuries.
At the time, we weren’t focused on the newspaper coverage, but looking back, I see the role that the newspaper and police had in prompting change. With the help of the LAPD, the Monitor’s steady stream of information provided the community with accurate information, which led to organization and demands for change. Those efforts ultimately resulted in new laws to improve road safety. Without that coverage, would the community have acted? I doubt it. How could they if they had no idea what was going on?
Now that I’m on the journalism side of things, I find myself frustrated by the lack of transparency, often justified under the guise of “privacy.” While it’s important to protect some information — such as notifying family members before publicly identifying victims — privacy should not be an excuse to withhold critical information the public needs, especially when doing so compromises safety. When crash details are withheld, the community is left in the dark, unable to have the informed conversations that lead to real change.
Reporting the truth about car crashes isn’t about exploiting tragedy — it’s about ensuring we have the information needed to protect each other on the roads. We can’t afford delays or incomplete reports while road safety issues persist. We should demand consistent, timely, accurate, and transparent information sharing as the first step toward making our roads safer. Let’s hold our authorities accountable, ensuring that facts — not rumors — drive the changes needed to prevent future tragedies.
People who would like to see the police release information in a timely manner might consider encouraging them to do so. The police contact listed on their website is the Chief: dino.sgambellone@lacnm.us. You can also email the County Council: countycouncil@lacnm.us
Thank you for another vital community discussion. Our community literally lives and dies by choices the police department makes in a vacuum. That vacuum also holds key safety issues such as local drug policy and juvenile justice. If the words and actions of the police department aligned, we’d all be significantly safer.