Now that Jefferson Parish President John Young has removed one roadblock to the inspector general's access to government records, Parish Councilman Mark Spears Jr. wants to erect another. Spears has introduced a measure requiring that that the internal watchdog give "written request" to officials before obtaining any records.
Inspector General David McClintock says the amendment would hamstring his work, potentially tipping off targets of his investigations and giving them an opportunity to alter records before producing them. He said Spears' measure, introduced Wednesday for a council vote on Feb. 19, flummoxed him.
