HSCO

My class recenty went on a field trip to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's office. They provided us class with  information on how they operate and what we should look for as journalist to get information for a story.

Public records are a vital part of a good journalist's career but knowing where to look is an even more important aspect of our jobs. J. D Callaway, Director of Communication, and Crystal Burmudez helped us learn more. We sat in a quaint conference room as Callaway and Burmudez explained what to look for in the records provided by the office.

With a three per day minimum journalist have free range to locate charge reports, face sheets, criminal affidavits and more. Criminal affidavits are public record and can be obtained at the jail, however more detailed information is available once a prosecutor files charges at the courthouse which can take weeks depending on the crime. The HCSO holds public in their computer systems dating back to 1996. Reporters can use the charge reports which list an arrested person's name, address, current employer, and arrest locations to build a solid foundation for any story. Callaway explained step by step the best way to explore a strong story. He advised my class to first gather information online, the obtain the arrest affidavit from the jail, before heading to the location of the incident and talking with witnesses. Taking the steps to gather information properly prepares us to ask the important question to neighbors, friends, and family regarding the arrestee.

I learned that there is so much paperwork filed in all types of incidents. Traffic reports are with held from public records for six months after an accident occurs, eight page DUI reports are filed in which an officer may arrest an impaired individual without reading Miranda rights, and when a warrant is a served the person arrested is entitled to see all the documents the state has against them.