Bowling Green blotter will no longer be on the Sentinel-Tribune website or in print.
A new law protecting victims’ rights has put an end to Bowling Green Police Division blotter, according to Bowling Green Police Division Lt. Adam Skaff.
Marsy’s Law, also known as House Bill 343, went into effect April 6 and puts such a strain on the department to edit out victims’ names, it stopped releasing blotter all together, Skaff said.
“It would be extremely time consuming to go through every incident and redact what needs to be redacted,” he said.
A simple report may take two minutes to redact, but a complicated report may take an hour as the victim’s name needs to be removed every time it is referred to, Skaff said.
Blotter first was released in print form as early as the 1990s and had to be picked up at the station, then later became available on the BGPD website.
The last blotter was released March 31.
Marsy’s Law provides victims a chance to keep their names and addresses private, and under the law, violent crime victims can be notified when their aggressor is released.
Marsy’s Law started in California, for Marsalee Nicholas, who was murdered in 1983 by her ex-boyfriend. Marsy’s family stopped at a market on their way home from her funeral just a week after she was murdered. The family was confronted by their daughter’s murderer and had received no notification that he was released on bail.
BGPD also provides victims with paperwork explaining their rights and a copy is given to the court system, Skaff said.
“The idea is to make sure victims are protected and informed,” he said.
The Sentinel-Tribune news staff will continue to check in daily with the BGPD for reports and news.
