Taxpayer funds are a key part in sustaining public services and our overall government. Our democracy is responsible for government oversight and ensuring the process of checks and balances works. But with some entities operating in both the public and private sectors, many quasi-government entities opt for the secrecy afforded to private companies.

Shortly after a video started making the rounds of a Sheriff Peyton Grinnel from Florida’s Lake County swearing vengeance upon drug dealers while flanked by mask-clad deputies, Tony Webster filed a request for the unedited footage. That was released this week, and between a couple mic checks and the final cut, there’s a pretty amazing b-roll.

The North Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLEC) has released its policy on use of force. NEMLEC thus joins law enforcement agencies and criminal justice experts across the country in concluding that this basic document is fit for public consumption.

A few weeks back, the city of Doraville, Georgia drew international attention for a video posted to the front page of their Police Department website, depicting a SWAT tank training exercise, complete with stylized skulls, eagles, and an industrial metal soundtrack. The video was taken down during the Ferguson protests, and we’re trying to get info on how it was made, and why it was removed.