(A) The officer in charge of an investigation will impose reasonable restrictions on the access to the crime or accident scene, allowing only authorized persons in that area. A general description of the crime or accident shall be made to the general public, but gruesome and sordid aspects that tend unduly to inflame public opinion will be omitted.
(B) No information shall be released to other law enforcement agencies unless they are assisting in the investigation being conducted by the Department. In this manner, the Department’s investigation will not be jeopardized.
(C) Announcement of the arrest may include: facts concerning the time, place, and the manner of apprehension; items seized if related to the charge; the text or summary of the charge; the identity of the investigating and arresting agencies; and the time duration of the total investigation.
(D) The following prohibitions are made concerning news dissemination about crimes, investigations, and arrests. No information shall be released pertaining to:
(1) The apparent motivation or character of the perpetrator;
(2) Technical information and scientific evidence which will be used to identify the perpetrator of the crime;
(3) Identification of witnesses, comments concerning their credibility, or their identification of the defendant; and
(4) Statements, admissions, confessions, or alibis attributable to the defendant.
(E) In addition, the release of portions of Department reports must not interfere with the conduct of an ongoing investigation.
(1996 Code, § 2-59) (Ord. 1991-2, § 24, passed 7-18-1991)