Police chief urges newspaper not to publish arrest logs

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A Rhode Island police chief says he has tried to keep crimes out of the local newspaper because it embarrasses people.

The Providence Journal reports that Block Island Chief Vincent Carlone was quoted in a column in The Day newspaper in Connecticut as saying he lobbied The Block Island Times to stop publishing information on minor crimes.

Carlone backed up his statement Tuesday, saying the columnist was “trying to make the island look bad.”

David Collins wrote the column and says the absence of police logs in the newspaper creates a “blind spot” for residents.

The editor of The Block Island Times did not respond to requests for comment.

Carlone says it’s the newspaper’s right to publish whatever they please. He says he does send a notification of major crimes.