Police groups want officers' names withheld after shootings

PHOENIX (AP) - Law enforcement groups citing concern for the safety of police officers want the Arizona Legislature to make the public wait 90 days before learning the identities of officers involved in shootings.

A lobbyist for the Arizona Police Association and a Phoenix police union says a 90-day delay in releasing an officer's name would provide a cooling-off period after a shooting.

The Arizona Capitol Times reports that neither union officials nor lobbyist Mike Williams could cite an instance when an Arizona officer involved in a fatal shooting was harmed as retaliation.

Attorney Dan Barr of the First Amendment Coalition of Arizona says that fact invalidates the groups' argument for their proposal.

The police association and the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association are seeking a legislative sponsor for their proposal.