Ohio Senate bill would ban public broadcast of 911 calls

By Marc Kovac

COLUMBUS — Legislation being considered in the Ohio Senate would ban the public broadcast of audio from emergency calls to law enforcement.

“I do not see how broadcasting the actual voice of a traumatic experience such as murder, robbery, severe injury or even death can benefit society,” Sen. Tom Patton, a Republican from the Cleveland area and primary sponsor of the legislation, told members of the Senate’s state and local government committee Tuesday.

The Ohio Supreme Court ruled more than a decade ago that tapes of 911 phone calls are public records and subject to release under the state’s sunshine laws, according to the state’s Legislative Service Commission. The court subsequently ruled those laws applied to the audio of the calls and the written transcripts.

Patton’s legislation, House Bill 105, would continue to designate the transcripts of 911 calls as public records and allow media to listen to the audio recordings privately. But the bill would prohibit broadcasts via radio, television or the Internet, and those breaking the prohibition could face fines of $10,000.

The bill also would require reporters wanting to listen to the recordings to fully identify themselves in advance.

“In the event that the caller receives an act of retaliation, the police at least have a starting point for a follow-up investigation,” Patton said.

Patton said the legislation is needed to protect individuals who use 911 to report emergency situations or request law-enforcement assistance.