arkansasmimi
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The only thing is that from what the Attorney General's office had written it seems that it was singular as in one firearm. I would expect that in clearing a building that size that there would be more than one weapon drawn as it would take several officers to work the interior of the building and I don't know that it would be in their protocol for a lone officer to operate on their own nor have one and only one officer with a drawn weapon when clearing a building. So I still wonder about that particular document that was withheld.
Agree, but iirc all the other "cases" that were located by myself and PatTheRat, showed the same verbiage. I will find link and edit, but IIRC all were in singular soundly form.
ETA:
Originally Posted by arkansasmimi http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?p=13096705#post13096705
all surveillance footage- ***would have all information that LE has on the Suspect, MB, the CG campers, EMT, LE with a gun most likely drawn looking around the building to see if anyone else was there
AND: AG ruling Dec 4, 2015 https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov...r201525414.pdf
Snip
Section 552.108(b )(1) of the Government Code excepts from disclosure the internal records and notations of law enforcement agencies and prosecutors when their release would interfere with law enforcement and crime prevention. Gov't Code§ 552.108(b )(1 ); see also Open Records Decision No. 531 at 2 (1989) (quoting Ex parte Pruitt, 551 S.W.2d 706 (Tex. 1977)). A governmental body claiming section 552.108(b )(1) must reasonably explain how and why the release of the requested information would interfere with law enforcement. See Gov't Code§§ 552.108(b)(l), .301(e)(l)(A); see also Ex parte Pruitt, 551 S.W.2d 706.
Section 5 52.108(b )( 1) is intended to protect "information which, if released, would permit private citizens to anticipate weaknesses in a police department, avoid detection, jeopardize officer safety, and generally undermine police efforts to effectuate the laws of this State." See City of Fort Worth v. Cornyn, 86 S.W.3d 320 at 327 (Tex. App.-Austin 2002, no pet.). This office has concluded section 552.108(b )(1) excepts from public disclosure information relating to the security or operation of a law enforcement agency. See, e.g., Open Records Decision Nos. 531 (release of detailed use of force guidelines would unduly interfere with law enforcement), 252 (1980) (section 552.108 of the Government Code is designed to
protect investigative techniques and procedures used in law enforcement), 143 (1976) (disclosure of specific operations or specialized equipment directly related to investigation or detection of crime may be excepted). Section 552.108(b )(1) is not applicable, however, to generally known policies and procedures. See, e.g., ORDs 531 at 2-3 (Penal Code
provisions, common law rules, and constitutional limitations on use of force not protected), 252 at 3 (governmental body failed to indicate why investigative procedures and techniques requested were any different from those commonly known).
page 3
You state release of the photographs containing serial numbers for a firearm would enable the serial number to be used on illegal firearms or in a false missing weapon report. You state release of this information would interfere with law enforcement. Based on your representations and our review, we agree the release of the serial number we marked would interfere with law enforcement. Accordingly, the department may withhold the firearm serial number we have marked under section 552.108(b)(l) of the Government Code. However, we conclude the department has not established the release of the remaining information at
issue would interfere with law enforcement. Therefore, the department may not withhold any of the remaining information under section 552.108(b)(l). In summary, the department must withhold the Firearms Trace Summary we have marked
under section 552.101 of the Government Code in conjunction with Public Law number 112-55. The department may withhold the firearm serial number we have markedunder section 552.108(b)(l) of the Government Code. The remaining information must be
released.
01-25-2017, 02:12 PM#875 PatTheRat 01-25-2017, 02:12 PM#875 PatTheRat
Keep in mind the language in blue is used in many other rulings. The AG's office does this a lot; they have boilerplate language ready to plug in so that they can keep rulings consistent and cut down on the time required to produce these rulings (just look at how many rulings they made in 2016 and you'll see they are swamped). The governmental bodies then get wise to what magic words/phrases you have to include into the request for ruling so that the AG's office agrees with you. Not saying that occurred here, but it happens. So I would not necessarily place a lot of weight in that language used by AG. Here are a few rulings that also held that a police department did not have to disclose serial numbers for a similar reason you quoted:
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov...r201501686.pdf ("serial numbers for a firearm would enable the serial number to be used on illegal firearms or in a false missing weapon report").
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov...r201505340.pdf ("You state release of the information at issue will interfere with law enforcement by divulging a firearm serial number that could be used on illegal firearms or be falsely used in a missing weapons report.")
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov...r201421129.pdf ("You state release of the information at issue will interfere with law enforcement by divulging a firearm serial number that could be used on illegal firearms or be falsely used in a missing weapons report.")
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov...r201605382.pdf ("You state release of the information at issue would interfere with law enforcement by divulging a firearm serial number that could be used on illegal firearms or falsely used in a missing weapons report."