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WH[MMY FMU PREESý, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9,991, PAGE 9 Privacýy.act ,prevents naming, of mos çrme victm By Miko Kowalsild Durham Regionralý Police will no longer d4isclose' the identities, of most cri*mevictime. 1With, few exceptions, the naines*of crime victims will.be kept private in compliancoe with Onitariosa new Municipal F'ree- dom'of -Information and Protec- tion of-Privacy Act. Only murder victims and people involved in motor vehicle accidents will be identified by police or if Mcompelling or coin- passionate", circuinstances war- rant 'the rele'ase of victime' names. Durham joined a number of Onitarlo municipal police. for ces in, talcing tese measures lest week in light of "guidelines" con- tained in the legislation which took effect Jan; 1. However, it is precisely. this fact, that the new rules are merely guidelines subject to interpretation, which has created confusion among Ontario police forces. Rather than be recipients of a lawsuit by a crime victim named without his consent, Durham and other forces have adopted the blanket policy. According to' a statement issued by the Ontario solicitor- generalls ministry the guidelines are just that, guideýlines, and not "dterminative" of any particular case. But malcing individual police deoantents"decide for them- sies what information should be released is the problem, says. Whitby Mayor Bob.Attersley. Chairman of the Durham Region Police Commission, Attersley bl ames the province for the contfusion created7byr the new ýtleave:n.a lot te be desired the way its 'owwritten, it leaves everything w.yide op'eni"- said Attersley.'ý '- " What-I.rnterpretýand what you interpret are two different things w.. write ' the act so 'we don't have te interpret it Attersley said t he matter- will be discussed at this week's police commission meeting, but he does not 1 expect a>* change . in, the departmeént's position. se noted. that Solicitor- Géneral Mike Farnan intends'te meet with police officiaIs in the near future te review the guide- Uines. Any modification in Durhaxn's policy may dependon that meet- îng, saidAttersley. Insp. G reg Reidc-ordinater Of teDurham force'os privacy unit, agreed that the policy can be aftered in the future. «It' a p retty encompassing piece, of le s ation,, b ut Mi' (ipolicy) subject te age. t ill be reviwed if there is a cange in AJAX/PICKERING 1450 KkisOn Rd. -the -guidelines,» said Reid. Forthemoment, Duha police wlll only idènti1frhomicide 'and motor veéicle -accident vic- tins 'and persons charedwith ciinangl o enées, said Reid. 1But exceptions will be. made if mlice, deem, disclosure to be in thie public interest, said Reid. «If there was a chemical spili or uncontained fire it maLy be necessary to release some kind of personal information," said Reid., "It may be'import nfor the. public to contact i ta iherY» Other instances could involve missinjg persons or apprehension Of criminals, he added. Reid. said police will- continue releasing information to the' media-as in the past, provided' there is no. danger,,of victims being identified. But this will -mean -a slight: change in the 'Way the informna- tion is presented. Until lest week, 'eporters who attended morning press briefing at police headquarters in COsh- awa were given a computer prin- 1756 S[AFOOD and STEAKHOUSE 1180 Simcoe St. N. Oshawa 436-9333 e 436-9065 *Roast Prime Beef (Canada Grade A) New York Steak and Shrinps Broiled Seaood Plate %q$9m9 n 7 days a week Banquet FacilitiesAvlae YOUR RESOLUTION. Loei il. AS OUR CLIENTS. Oro LOSI, THE: 99 UNITEDWAY 00. GAINS! Uni;ed Way OVEr iAO CEtRES mLWD ApnI Kpp tlS 2bs. OSHAWA 345 Shncoe St. S. WlIITBY 420.6300' 666.0770 *Exclusive of NutriSystem food & irutWalevaua n which Eafadltknucsta Pamtcpatu ontm «dny. New cionb only.1 Expies .i.1/ teut of ail police reports taken in the previous 24 hours. But now thé naines of 'vict ims and accused. persons are. no Whlàreinoving victins' nanes allows police -te -comply with the act, the absence'of accused per- sons' naines means 'reporters have no way of know ing wlio han been. charged unlea police are speS'flcàllY asked. Police will continue identilring imple charged with,,crimes, but Rltkowledged that .unilesaj e very offence. i ýqestioned, reporters would ^,.not" know if a prominent person in 'the con- munity had beencéhargèd. '.-'*, «Thats correct, we would have te go'throuhtih o tm b item," said Red. -But he said police felt, this was the best alternative at the time. 1As for the' Ontario, Provincial Police, that force has beeù oe- Î ned by the act since 1988, 'A rerlease ismued ythe. adhere tô the policyfoledti past three years.> *Disclosure of. information -wil be n a «case bycase bas% is, that both -the,'rivacy' of indiei duals and the'public'.leitiat rigfht te inform tion1maP_ re pected,» states therlap Frank White,-directô'r oiCd Ontario'eed'mof' Infom tion anid Privacybrandi, adxnit ted in. an, inteview. that thetypi of incident will determine',h<i much information police disclose. However,. White said com. plaints can be made te Ontarié', privacy commissioner. if a- peérson feels he has b-ee3 unutyidentified' or if an organization is witholding publié information, then the commis. sionrer caùn take -,appropriate action, said White. -"-sCSO D.S WH B 43 -13 ,Wednesday, Jan. 9th and.,con tinues'n! 668-437 .I1¶A 1o 989~j ITO~ bssum~rr I:~< ~.J ~ .< Iweight foscntre CAU..TODAY FOR A FREE NO-OBUGATION- CONSULTATION BOWMANVILI.E 98 long St. W. 623m 8666f OVER 1,800 CENTRES WORLDIMDE 1 1 am