When we last talked to Peterborough Police Chief Scott Guinard, we were receiving data (including names, residences and ages) from accidents in the semi-weekly log the department provides to the newspaper. In the April 17-20 log, released by Peterborough Captain Ernie Belletete, names of people involved in accidents were included.

In the April 24-27 log, we received the following message from Belletete:

“Note: Due to the interpretation of the driver privacy law by Dept of Motor Vehicle, no Motor Vehicle information will be released until further notice. We cannot release names, ages or motor vehicle information at this time. If questions, please give me a call.”

We tried to call Belletete and Guinard from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday before our deadline but we were not successful. We hope we’ll still be able to get details on calls the police handle, as we have for decades.

Here’s there’s confusion: Wilton Police Chief Brent Hautanen, vice president at the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police, wrote a memo on the Driver Privacy Act in early April which influenced some chiefs to balk at releasing names. Chiefs like Tim Suokko, of Dublin, interpreted the memo as a suggestion to stop releasing information for fear of legal backlash, we reported Tuesday.

The Driver Privacy Act seems pretty straightforward, but as far as we know, the law is meant for official accident reports, not information kept in logs or given out to those hoping to make prompt claims with their insurance companies.

For his part, Hautanen is still publishing identifiable information, as are the state police. Peterborough was publishing information as of last week, but that has apparently changed.

Getting complete police logs and records is our most basic duty. It’s how we make those logs you’ve been seeing in the paper for more than 30 years.

It’s how we keep track of arrests and stay on top of emerging trends. It’s also an accountability tool.

If your police department responds to two calls in a week, you can be sure your newspaper will call the chief and ask what else happened or what’s missing.

Our readers have a right to know. It’s public information.