The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin has wrote an opinion column about one of Norma’s latest bills and it does not look flattering.

Local Assemblywoman Norma Torres has introduced a bill to deny journalists – and hence, the public – crime information that is now public and, in our opinion, vital to California residents.

In fact, loss of that information to journalists would pose dangers for the public.

Torres, D-Ontario, introduced Assembly Bill 1682 at the behest of Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca. The bill is no doubt well intended, but completely misguided.

AB 1682 would amend a 1995 law that restricts general access to address information about arrestees and crime victims, but gives access to the information for a "scholarly, journalistic, political, or government purpose. …"

As introduced, Torres’ measure would restrict access even for those purposes to the city of residence – not the address – of a person arrested or victimized by crime.

That would leave the Daily Bulletin and every other newspaper in the state unable to fully inform readers about dangers in their own blocks or neighborhoods.

More at:

http://www.dailybulletin.com/editorial/ci_14501896

So would this mean we would not know where a robbery or even an attempted assault of a young woman might take place so we would be able to know to take caution to protect our homes or loved ones?

I could understand victims need their privacy, but we should be able to know the neighborhood at least.