Ditto that, AS!

Jay, I'm Googling that area. Are those chickens houses that are to the East/Northeast of the Mt. Holly Rd. and Lisbon Rd. intersection?

edit: I'm sending you a PM.

This is important.

If this sighting was truly captured on a police dispatch channel, then there is very likey an audio recording of the radio traffic during the event.

ATTENTION ALL RESEARCHERS associated in any way with this case.

1) Immediately send a public records request to the agency that is in charge of the dispatching center. Request a copy of the dispatch audio for that shift (try to be as specifric as possible regarding date, time and location of the alleged event(s)). Some dispatch centers tape over old dispatch tapes that are over 30 - 60 days old. So in other words....PROCRASTINATE ON THIS TO YOUR OWN DETRIMENT. I would suggest you don't mention "the Goon" so as not to be labled as "the goon". Just make a simple PI request.

2) Immediately send the law enforcement agency(ies) a public records request asking for the patrol assignment detail for that specific day and shift. You want to be able to narrow the possible witness officers down to a small handfull for future potential interviews should the story actually pan out.

I'll anxiously wait to hear if anyone actually does this. If not, I'll just assume this post is for entertainment purposes only.

Please post a copy of the public information request letter that you send as well as a copy of the responce coorespondence from the agency involved.

What do I send, just a letter with the information that I have concerning date, time, etc?




From the people I've talked to and from what I'm reading, there has been activity of something in this same area for years. It could very well be a tall tale that started and has blossomed from there, but I started following this because of the people that stated that they heard the sheriff's office respond to a call. As far as seasons of the goon, this is the first time I've actually heard of the 'goon', but like I said, other people have told me that this is not unusual for that area. My sighting took place on the opposite side of the county from this area.

Most agencies have PI request forms which you will need to obtain, complete and return. You need to be as specific as possible about what you are requesting, i.e. copies of reports, copies of audio files, dates, case numbers, etc. Additionally, expect that all personal information of the involved parties will be redacted from the reports prior to you getting them, also anything deemed confidential or security related as per the operation of the agency.

I would call the agency and inquire about their PI request policy. If they don't have a form, I would write it us something like this.


XXXXXXXXX (Agency)

Pursuant to state law, please consider this letter as an official public information request to your agency.

I am specifically requesting the following public information:

1) An audio copy of the police dispatch recordings from (Date) between the hours of (time) to (time). In the event that you have multiple radio dispatch channels, I am even more specifically requesting the audio recordings from the patrol area that includes the specific area of (approximate area of sighting - ex. intersection)
2) A copy of patrol detail assignment report that identifies the names of all uniformed patrol officers working at the time mentioned above in bullet point 1. If this report is not publicly reviewable, simply providing the names of the officers working that shift will suffice.


Please advise me of any copying of processing costs that this request will incur.

from you

From the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act:


(1) “Public records” means writings, recorded sounds, films, tapes, or data compilations in any form, required by law to be kept or otherwise kept, and which constitute a record of the performance or lack of performance of official functions which are or should be carried out by a public official or employee, a governmental agency, or any other agency wholly or partially supported by public funds or expending public funds. All records maintained in public offices or by public employees within the scope of their employment shall be presumed to be public records.


http://www.foiarkansas.com/1010/1010foia.html



How goes the public information request?

More from the Arkansas freedom of information act:

(e) If a public record is in active use or storage and, therefore, not available at the time a citizen asks to examine it, the custodian shall certify this fact in writing to the applicant and set a date and hour within three (3) working days, at which time the record will be available for the exercise of the right given by this chapter.

In other words....it would appear that they have three days from your request to either supply you with the information or give you a date an time when it will be available.

and....

(a) Any citizen denied the rights granted to him by this chapter may appeal immediately from the denial to the Pulaski County Circuit Court or to the circuit court of the residence of the aggrieved party, if an agency of the state is involved, or to any of the circuit courts of the appropriate judicial districts when an agency of a county, municipality, township, or school district, or a private organization supported by or expending public funds, is involved.

Upon written application of the person denied the rights provided for in this chapter, or any interested party, it shall be mandatory upon the circuit court having jurisdiction to fix and assess a day the petition is to be heard within seven (7) days of the date of the application of the petitioner, and to hear and determine the case.

Those who refuse to comply with the orders of the court shall be found guilty of contempt of court.

In other words, unless realese of the "Goon" audio data is investigations sensitive on an active criminal investigation....the law has teeth if they don't give you the info.

In my layman's opinion anyways.

so again...

How goes the PI request?

I can't wait to hear the tape.

Of course they could just do like the police did in that case in Mississippi (or was it Louisiana?) and deny there ARE any records.

That made me laugh!

Interesting info, Jay! Keep us posted!

Really.

I want to see a copy of the public information request from Mississippi (or was it Louisiana) and the refusal from Mississippi (or was it Louisiana) before I beleive that it happened that way.

As you can clearly see in the Arkanasas law (and I might say in nearly every state level public records law) there is legal penalties for concompliance on the part of a government agent.

I feel safe in saying that the typical 911 manager, Police Chief or Sherriff is not willing to risk civil or criminal prosecution in order to protect the secret of the "the goon" or "the booger" or the "the bigfoot".



(ahem)

How goes the Arkanasas public information request?

Your and MB's statements are spot on and 100% correct. They basically have to respond that the requested information is part of an active investigation ( which can be released after legal disposition) or a redacted copy and in some cases ( for a fee)- a transcript.

There also is ( unfortunately) the old "they got accidently erased" statement - that happened to the legal investigative team in the Duke case. They seem to have "lost" a LOT of things in Durham.

Well.....

it's nearly the end of the business day for Arkansas government offices.

How'd that public information request go over?

(crickets chirping)

\
Are you accusing the investigator that tried to get the records of lying?

Not at all. This is simply my admittedly passive aggressive attempt to make a point.

That point being "BF researchers (armchair or otherwise) need to start acting more like researchers and less like teenage age rumor machines".

That is, unless the real reason why people are BF enthusiast is simply for camaraderie and fun story telling as opposed to actually trying to solve this mystery.

^Ok, that's a fair point...

Please don't push. If you want it done so badly, I'll be glad to give you the info to follow up. There was a death in my immediate family this week and frankly, bigfoot has been the last thing on my mind.

Sorry to hear about your loss. My prayers to you and your family...

Thank you Mulder. I appreciate that very much.

Jay, I hope you are doing ok?? I am deeply sorry for your families loss. You know you will be in my thoughts & prayers. That's a given.

Sorry for the loss.

Please post the date, time, location (intersection) and agencies involved and I will make the PI request.

I believe this area is in Union County.

Slabdog, according to several of Jaylee's prior posts (above - my bolding and bracketed dates,) the initial date of the activity over the police scanner and time is on May 31, 2009 around 11:00 pm. Also there have been "(6-7) calls starting in mid March and as recently as last week [last of May or 1st week of April] with people seeing something odd or hearing strange noises and one report of a killed dog."

The agency is the Union County Sheriff's Department, and the location is near the Lisbon Road and and Mt. Holly Road interesction. (I think it's Union County, pretty sure. Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong.)

I hope this helps a little with the PI request.

It will be so awesome, Slabdog, if they send you the information!

Just a note, but it would have had to have been March 31, not May 31.

I'm on it

My bad.

Thanks, SS.


Cool, SD!

according to a map I looked at, Libson road and Mt Holly Road do not intersect. Maybe the map I am looking at is wrong.

I need some better information about the intersection from a local.

If the reques t is not very specific, it will likely get snagged up based on cofusion alone.

Another reason why this request would be better coming from a local.

That's what I thought at first, too, SD. But apparently there is a Mt. Holly Rd. and a Mt. Holly Hwy. Mt Holly Hwy does not intersect with Lisbon Rd, but Mt. Holly Rd does.

This link shows the intersection with Mt. Holly Rd. and Lisbon Rd.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source...e=UTF8&z=13

edit to add: You have to look toward the west a little or zoom out.

I knew it was just a typo Hopeful, but just thought I'd make mention of it. Also, thanks for the map link above.

on it

Jaylee - I am real sorry about your loss. Hang in there.

Keep on this guys! Please keep updating us.

hopeful, thank you for the help, and your are right...Mt. Holly Road does intersect with Lisbon Road. From what I've been told, this is taking place toward Hwy. 82 which would be south of that intersection.

Thank you for the kind words and thoughts everyone.

So sorry to hear that Jay, thoughts and prayers are with you.

Thanks Scott

thoughts and prayers Jay. If you need anything you know my number.

Save the goons! Collect the whole set! Gotta luv it!

Any update slabdog?

The info request was submitted. The agency advised that someone needs to phyiscally come by to listen to the tape. We are working on getting a local to do just that.

Any possibility of acquiring a copy of the tape or is that something that is out of the question. One would think with the freedom of information act it may be possible..

Go in and listen to it wired, I doubt you will be frisked for a simple FOI compliance episode

I'm sure if there is something good on the tape we can arrange to get a audio copy.

Hi all. Out of curiosity has there been anymore recent lisbon goon activity and/or any developments on verification of police reports of the alleged encounter. At the time things seemed promising but seems to have gone cold! Anyone have any updates ?

JayleeD, Sorry about your loss.

Here is the googled map of the area mentioned.

Click to view attachment

Looks like the TBRC is going to investigate the Union County Lisbon goon.

I noticed there was a new post there saying that 2 more had been seen in the area. I haven't heard squat from anyone, but I did see that someone suggested they contact the BFRO or the TBRC.

I thought the following comment from someone there was interesting...



I'd love to know who this is!

Some of the folks seem so nonchalant about it like it's no big deal. Others are forming non violent and violent posses to go out and hunt for the goons. The non violent folks were talking about catching a goon and subduing it. I'd like to be a fly on that wall!

Hope the goons took mapreading 101 or downloaded google Earth so they can get the jump on them. Maybe they should just draw a map and drop it.....
Edited to add I noticed just such a map earlier in the thread, hope the goons are BFF members

Funny that your user name is goatman. There was a woman that was from the Lisbon/Smackover, AR area for over 50 years that was known as the "goat woman".



http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/ency...px?entryID=1000