i couldn’t find the specific california highway patrol policies that would have obligated the officers to take photos of the catsouras crash. i assume most law enforcement agencies are committed to documenting as much as possible when there is a potential crime, ongoing investigation, etc. those photos, as graphic as they are, could be needed to determine the cause of the crash, resolve any claims that may arise from the accident and so forth. in these terms, the more information that can be collected and recorded, the better.

because this information — even that found within a photo — is of public concern and collected by a public agency, it is and should be available to the public. from what i understand, the police can withhold this information while an investigation is still underway, for example, but once it’s released, it’s fair game.

like i mentioned in my post, it’s a terribly difficult concept to digest in cases such as this one. but it’s important that we recognize the value in such freedom of information policies, despite the rare occasion when our heart tells us to do otherwise.