Local police stations in New Hampshire can no longer practice the decade’s old-policy of handing out accident reports. Instead the state DMV is now in charge of that.
This policy change came about in the fall when state officials told police chiefs that providing accident reports to the public was against the law. Specifically, a misdemeanor for releasing these documents and a felony for charging for them, which most departments do.
Andy Shagoury, who’s first vice president of the N.H. Association of Police Chiefs, says as the Chief in Tuftonboro he’s been doing this for nearly three decades. He says some residents aren’t too happy about this change.
“I think people feel more comfortable and they usually go to the agency where it happened – they like to be able maybe talk to the people involved who covered it," Shagoury said. "I mean it’s been kind of the practice for so long, I think people are used to it too.”
A proposal in the state Senate would restore this authority back to local police departments, something Shagoury is supporting.