Sachi McClendon

The New Orleans Police Department will not release BWC footage involving a burglary. The dept is saying that there is a minor in the video. The minor didn’t report the incident but just appears in the video. Is the dept allowed to keep this video from me in its entirety because of this? Is there any possibility they could just blur the minor’s face?

Here’s the exact wording from the agency: We cannot fulfill your request because such records contains information pertaining to juveniles. Notably, “information obtained on a juvenile shall be confidential and shall not be subject to public inspection or be disclosed directly or indirectly to anyone” except the juvenile, parent, or guardian or attorney of record. 22 La. Admin. Code Pt. I, § 701D.1; see also La. Rev. Stat. § 15-574.12 (information obtained by youth services in the discharge of their duties shall be confidential); La. Child. Code art. 412 (juvenile court proceedings and records are confidential and shall not be disclosed except per the Children’s Code); id. arts. 920-21 (juvenile records include records and reports, etc. created by all officials, agencies, institutions, law enforcement offices); see also La. Rev. Stat. § 44:4.1B (incorporating by reference the foregoing statute and articles and exempting such records from the Public Records Law).

Any idea on how to proceed?