Concord Bridge is committed to fairness and accuracy in reporting crime

From the editors

The police report and crime stories continue to be some of our most popular features at The Concord Bridge, as evidenced by both high readership online and conversations in cafes. In the interests of transparency and consistency during the ongoing restructuring of the newspaper, we would like to explain how we obtain this information and present it to you, our readers.

The Concord Bridge relies on a combination of readily available information from police and courts, supplemented by public records requests from our reporters and tips from readers.

The information available in police documents is often heavily redacted. We believe in the wisdom and power of public records laws and will continue to independently request detailed records to more fully inform the public.

Reporters monitor police records, arrests and court hearings and carefully consider what should be published. We always strive for fairness and accuracy, especially in naming perpetrators.

Mainstream media has moved away from naming those accused of most minor and petty crimes as the country reflects on issues of racial justice and long-standing injustices in the criminal justice system. The Concord Bridge agrees that naming those accused of these crimes often does more harm than good – both to the individuals and to historically marginalized communities.

Our protocol

Concord Bridge has developed a policy that we believe balances our support for transparency in government and the public's right to know with the ethical principles of the individual's right to be forgotten in an era when Internet searches retain the results of articles about arrests for ten years or more.

The Bridge does not name juveniles or victims of sexual assault or domestic violence. State law also prohibits police departments from including such crimes in daily or weekly police reports until charges are filed in court.

In releasing the names of the accused, The Concord Bridge will decide on a case-by-case basis whether or not to publish the identities. We will do so within the ethical framework of what we as a newspaper believe to be in the public interest.

The newspaper will refrain from publishing the names of private citizens involved in most minor, non-violent crimes. The names of defendants charged with serious crimes against public safety, violence and other cases affecting the community will be published.

The naming of public figures accused of a criminal offence occurs regardless of the seriousness of the charge, since their chosen role in society carries with it the expectation that they will maintain integrity and public trust.

Our Mission

Concord Bridge is committed to pursuing cases deemed appropriate for publication through the judicial and criminal proceedings until a verdict is reached.

As Concord's leading newspaper, we want the community to be our partner in spreading the news that matters. We can't be everywhere at once; we rely on our readers to help us keep the community informed.

Please contact us at [email protected] or call or text (988) 505-2776 if you have a public safety concern or witness an incident.