Somebody help me out here. Greesnboro police chief Tim Bellamy writes a letter to the U.S. Attorney’s office telling them he is “very disappointed that you do not feel the public release of such information requires any action by your office… There is no question in my mind that the act of releasing this information has the potential of endangering lives.”
The feds write back and say too bad. What I found interesting about this morning’s N&R article is the fact that Bellamy justifiably is mentioned throughout the article, complete with head shots in both the print and online editions. Then he says he hadn’t seen the letter from U.S. Attorney Anna Mills Wagoner. Strange.
But what’s stranger is the fact that Bellamy, at one time, wasn’t so sensitive to information leaking from his office, according to this N&R article covering Bellamy’s speech before the Tar Heel Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America:
The leak of a confidential report detailing alleged abuses under the former city police chief has not slowed ongoing criminal and administrative investigations into those claims, a top official said.
And interim police Chief Tim Bellamy, speaking Tuesday at a seminar for public relations professionals, defended his decision to tell residents of secret audio recordings made by police employees of African American community leaders during the past few years…..
“It hasn’t hampered anything we’re doing,” Bellamy told the two dozen luncheon guests and reporters of the leaked report. “We’re still continuing our investigation — it hasn’t stopped anything.
“Trust-wise? There probably will be some people, especially within city government, not only with this case but any other case, that may be reluctant to go before somebody and get some information, knowing there’s a possibility that information can be released. That’s just human nature.”
