This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

"I read the newspaper avidly. It is my one source of continuous fiction," Aneurin Bevan, a Welsh member of Parliament, once declared. Bevan's witticism perfectly describes The Salt Lake Tribune's coverage regarding the leak of information about a recent recommendation by the Civilian Review Board.

As a lawyer who handled several civil rights cases, I was convinced that accountability and credibility were lacking in the police department disciplinary process and advocated, before I was elected mayor, for civilian review of claims of police misconduct. After I was elected, I worked with the ACLU, the police department, the Salt Lake Police Association and the City Council to create a civilian board that, with the aid of an independent investigator, independently assesses allegations of police wrongdoing.

During the 14 months Chris Burbank has served as chief of police, the CRB has considered 30 cases of officer misconduct. The chief disagreed with a CRB recommendation to sustain an allegation of misconduct in only two of those cases. That fact belies The Tribune's baseless claim that CRB members have "zero authority" and receive "zero respect." Also undisclosed by The Tribune is the fact that Chief Burbank has actually sustained complaints in three cases in which the CRB recommended the complaints not be sustained. Chief Burbank and I support our police officers, while demanding full personal accountability.

To understand the impact of the recent leak of CRB information to a Tribune reporter, imagine you are a police officer who has been accused of misconduct and that the Civilian Review Board recommends that the chief sustain the complaint. Before you are able to respond at a pre-disciplinary hearing, however, the CRB's recommendation in your case is leaked to the media. Suddenly, your case becomes the subject of intense media speculation, before you are even given a chance to defend yourself. So much for The Tribune's regard for due process.

The Tribune considers it appropriate to publish CRB recommendations before an officer has a chance to respond to charges. Even more incredibly, The Tribune also advocates ("Police laundry: Review board's reports should be aired," April 5) in favor of releasing records even in cases where allegations of misconduct have been deemed to be false or malicious. Apparently, The Tribune's view of this matter is motivated by the politics of personal destruction, rather than by a concern for the proper functioning of the CRB process.

The Tribune would also have its readers believe that CRB members were unfairly targeted during the course of the inquiry into the leak. What The Tribune failed to disclose is that telephone records were sought of only one board member. Readers of The Tribune also would not know that telephone records were obtained from 11 police officers.

In addition to The Tribune's role in undermining the integrity of the only true civilian review board in Utah, other parties appear to have acted inappropriately. In mid-April, the Salt Lake Police Association sent a letter to me (published at http://www.slpa.com) that accused a member of the board or its investigator of "criminal" conduct - an entirely unwarranted and incendiary charge. The former chair of the CRB, whom I asked to resign, threatened to embarrass the chief of police by leaking CRB records, and declared I had to choose between him and the chief.

On the whole, however, the police department and members of the CRB should be praised for their diligence in fostering the extremely beneficial CRB process. The same cannot be said for The Tribune, which depicted efforts to preserve the integrity of the process as "Nixonian" or harmful to the board and the public. Unfortunately, The Tribune appears to be more interested in serving its own interest in utilizing wrongfully disclosed information, rather than the interests of city residents.

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* ROCKY ANDERSON is the mayor of Salt Lake City.

The Tribune appears to be more interested in serving its own interest in utilizing wrongfully disclosed information, rather than the interests of city residents.

Rocky Anderson