Preston Trigg visit

  The Florida statutes states public records to be "All documents, maps, books, tapes, photographs, films, recordings, software.. regardless of physical form.. made or received pursuant to law or in connection with transaction of official business."
  Director of administration and special projects, Preston Trigg, is a Hillsborough County tax collector.  Tax collectors are often referred to as "constitutional officers," along with sheriff, clerk of court, property appraiser, and elections supervisor.  I've always heard negative comments about tax collectors, but meeting Trigg helped me understand that they are people just like the rest of us.
  Hillsborough county tax collectors collect and distribute $2 billion worth of property taxes and special assessments a year.  They are elected every four years in presidential election years.  Also, 98% of customers rate their services good or excellent.
  Property taxes are very important public records for reporters because we can find out how rich a person is, how many properties they own, etc.  Trigg showed us the website www.hillstax.org, which allows people to access such public records.
  I thought it was interesting to learn that everything in Florida starts out as public record.  There are exemptions for school records, cases under investigation, private emails, most juvenile records, and recent autopsy photographs.
  I also found it interesting that Florida is one of the only places in the world where it is your constitutional right to look at government records.  Like Trigg said, "It's a beautiful thing."

   
 

Orient Rd. Jail Visit

  Halfway from my car to the jail reception area, I wondered if I should bring my purse inside or leave it in my car.  Once I walked inside, sure enough, I had to turn around and leave my valuables in the car.  The jail was a structured place.  They didn't fool around.  We had to sign in and get a tour badge before going in to the facility.  I found it surprising that none of us had to walk through a metal detector, considering the jail's high security rules. 
  I learned that only one door can be opened at a time so no one can escape.  Although, the officer informed us that escapes have occurred in the past. 
  "The inmates have 24 hours a day to figure out ways to escape."  I found this statement to be very powerful.  It makes so much sense when you stop to think about it.
  It never occurred to me that we may be in close quarters with the inmates.  Right after the tour began, we saw a line of orange jumpsuits walking down the hallway in front of us.  They kept to themselves, but they stared at us like a pack of wolves stares down their prey.  I felt a little apprehensive from that point on.
  We went into the jail's control room where all the cameras were.  All the video is public record.  The officer said the booking area is the monitor to watch the closest because that is where most fights break out.
  We then visited a pod where an officer had the inmates on lockdown so we could enter.  I could see the inmates staring out of the small windows on their cell doors, watching our every move.  The officer was in a hurry to get us in and out of the pod because he said the inmates don't like to be on lockdown any longer than they need to be. 
  The reason the jail is perceived as "clean" and humane in comparison to what we see on TV is because in jail, most inmates are innocent, whereas in prison, the inmates have been found guilty.  Prison is for inmates serving sentences over a year.  I am happy we did not visit a prison.
  Because I am minoring in behavioral health, I was intrigued to learn how many inmates have mental disorders.  It was disturbing to learn than inmates have poked out their eyes, cut off their testicles, and committed suicide while awaiting trial.
   When we entered the booking area, two inmates had to be put in holding cells because they spoke words to us.  One officer said, "This isn't a playground."  I knew she meant business and I knew this was a place I never wanted to end up.
  We learned that information is not public record while under investigation because it is evidence until the case is closed. 
  It was a powerful trip.  I felt apprehensiveness among all my classmates.  We took away more than just information about public records.  I believe everyone took away a new appreciation for the system.



  

Visit to Sheriff's Office

  The  visit to the Sheriff's Office in Ybor was insightful.  I had trouble finding the building initially until I saw the other students from class standing outside.  The main building was bigger than I imagined it would be.  We gathered in a board room in the annex to the main building where J.D. Callaway and Cristal Bermudez met us.  They had information such as Standard Operating Procedures, criminal report affidavits, online inquiries, arrest warrants and other records to review with us. 
   The standard operating procedure for news releases and media cooperation is to assist Sheriff's personnel with such documentation.  It explains when information may be released and when there are special considerations that exempt release of information.  Exemptions include interviewing people in custody and suicide notes. 
  It was interesting to see the online arrest inquiries.  The 17-year-old was charged as an adult because he was charged with solicitation to commit murder, which is a felony.  If a juvenile is charged with one felony or three or more  misdemeanors, he or she is charged as an adult.  Once charged as an adult, the juvenile's information will be public record.  Callaway said that public records are available fairly quickly online.  They are available within an hour after the booking process.
  People can request dash cam videos as public records for DUI cases, as DUI units are the only ones with dash cams. 
  I found it interesting that public records relating to criminal behavior are only located at the sheriff's office, jails, and court houses.  The public records we went over were very detailed.  It was insightful to see how an officer fills out reports. 
  Bermudez said that particular sheriff's office in Ybor is the first in the area to be more cutting-edge by using social networking such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.  It's a fast way for reporters to be informed about arrests, etc. so they may obtain the public records quickly.  On YouTube, they post entire videos of news conferences, unlike broadcast news, where only bits and pieces of the news conferences are broadcast.
  We then toured the main building and saw where public records can be obtained.  Also, we toured the room where 911 calls are received.  The 911 operators seemed to know how to keep calm when calls came in.     

Matt Doig visit

  Database specialist, Matt Doig, explained that databases give answers to issues.  Databases expose public records such as teacher salaries and results of their test scores for the Basic Skills Test that teachers must take in order to prove they are intelligent enough to teach.  Social security numbers must are needed to match teachers with their information.  Some teachers disagree with their personal information being exposed through databases, but it is important, especially for parents, to be able to access such information to see who is teaching their children.
   The Sarasota Herald Tribune that Doig works for gathers database information from all 67 counties in Florida. I found it interesting to learn that Florida is the number one state for housing fraud in the US.  This was found in connection to flipping houses in the state.  Doig says, "Learning how to use databases gets you more money, more power, and more information."  Databases are important sources for public records.  They are also relatively easy to obtain.   
  I found it useful when Doig said he finds a common ground with someone to keep them on the phone and get the information he needs from them.
  Also, by starting an interview with "Help me understand.." and ending with "What haven't I asked that I should've asked?", you will get more out of the interview. 

Tim Nickens visit

  Almost anything you say over the phone or on the internet is public record.  I never knew how easy it was to actually obtain those records until Tim Nickens explained it in his visit.  He discussed the Sunshine Laws and how they make it easy for reporters and other officials to obtain public records.  Nickens explained that it is easier to request public records in Florida than in most other states.  Public records are extremely valuable sources of information, so it must be difficult reporting in other states where it is not so easy to obtain public records.
  I found it fascinating that anyone can find out if another person has voted or not through public records.  Although they cannot see who the person voted for, it can be beneficial to see that they actually voted. 
  Nickens discussed how the public can see the cost, square footage, etc. of a person's home through public records.  I feel this is too invasive, but these are areas that are not exempt from public record.
  When I took Advanced Reporting last year, we looked up public records such as these.  It is amazing how much you can learn through public records.  I have been writing for years now and never realized the pure value of public records.  It gets to the facts and the raw evidence.
  Online sex predators are caught in internet stings with the help of public records.  The accused person's computer is searched and the evidence is clear through public records.
  Nickens brought the importance of public records to light.