Long-public Nevada arrest database made secret
By Alexander Cohen, Las Vegas Review-Journal
A database of Nevada arrest records that was open to public inspection for decades has been made secret by a new state law.
The Nevada Department of Public Safety, which collects the information from law enforcement agencies across the state, won approval of the new law after the Las Vegas Review-Journal requested arrest and conviction records last year.
In May, DPS submitted an amendment to Assembly Bill 76, a measure to update rules for Nevada’s main repository of criminal history information such as arrests and convictions. The amendment prohibited releasing to the media any personal identifying information, such as names and dates of birth. The change, which took effect two months ago, allows the disclosure of identifying information only if media requesters ask for the records of a specific person.