All too often, the first inclination of government, at any level and in any capacity, is to opt for working behind closed doors. After all, some folks contend, it’s messy and inconvenient when the public wants to be involved and the news media wants access. That’s just the nature of the beast.
In recent months, we have called out the Lynchburg Police Department for denying valid requests for information regarding two high profile, officer-involved shootings. Our message was simple: By withholding information and barring media coverage, you are keeping the public in the dark, denying them the ability to know what their government is doing in their name and with their tax dollars.
Well, when government listens to that message, we also believe we should acknowledge that publicly, too, in part to recognize their efforts to increase transparency and also to send a message to other local governments that public transparency is something worth upholding.
First, let’s address the LPD under newly installed Chief Ryan Zuidema:
On the afternoon of Oct. 6, LPD officers were involved in a shootout with Campbell County resident Tony Kidd, who had led police on a chase through Lynchburg into Campbell. Kidd is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of a woman earlier that morning. In the shootout with police, he was seriously wounded, while an LPD officer suffered a less serious wound. At Zuidema’s immediate request, the Virginia State Police took over the investigation of the incident.
Normally, that would have been the last the public would have heard until a final report was released, but not this time. On Oct. 12, for the first time in department history, Zuidema released the names of the officers directly involved in the shooting, along with their divisions and lengths of their law enforcement experience — vital information for the public to know.
And now we’ll quote from the chief’s release, because we couldn’t have said it better: The Lynchburg Police Department is deeply committed to its mission to “build community by protecting and serving the public with honor, courage, and fairness for all.” Our efforts to build credibility and trust in the community have been the foundation of our approach, which includes intelligence-led policing and our ever-growing outreach in the community. When high-profile incidents involving the LPD occur, our desire is to be as open and transparent as possible while taking into account the necessity of maintaining the integrity of any criminal investigation and potential trial.
It is always encouraging when government listens to the public’s and the media’s concerns, and it highlights the quality of the leadership — both elected and appointed — of this city.