By Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis – The St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners will not appeal a court ruling that orders it to release the files of internal investigation into officers that misused 2006 World Series tickets.
The officers were accused of giving tickets they had seized from scalpers to friends and family, who used them before giving them back to the officers, who then returned them to the property custody room.
A local activist filed a Sunshine Law request for the investigative files, and sued when the department refused. The department released the file relating to the criminal case when ordered by Judge Philip Heagney, but later revealed there had been an internal investigation as well. Heagney ordered that file made public as well.
The police board announced at its Wednesday meeting that it wold not appeal the ruling.
"A lot has changed since 2006," newly-elected president Bettye Battle-Turner said in explaining the decision. "We must begin to move forward and try to do what the board needs to do to show our police department with more integrity."
Officers who were investigated plan to appeal, said St. Louis Police Officers Association attorney Neil Bruntrager. Forty years of court rulings protect statements officers are compelled to give during an internal investigation.
"The public has no more right to see those than they would have a right to see how you did on your fitness test, or how you did on your last medical, or what your blood pressure was, or what medications you take," Bruntrager said.
The appeals deadline is May 24th at 5 p.m.
No officers faced criminal charges for misusing the tickets, but several were disciplined by the department.