MINUTES - ACCURACY OF RECORD KEEPING

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26 MUTfICIPAL RECORDS § 14•14 parent has a common-law right to inspect school records relating to his son -5 Books, accounts, papers, and documents which are public -records are at all tunes open to inspection of interested citiens and tapay- ers,fi subject, ofcourse, to reasonable rales and regulations in regard to the time and manner of such examination, with a view to the safety of such records and the proper use of then by the public officials! Every officer, appointed by lava to keep records is merely in that relation a trusted of such records for the public who have an interest in the inspection of them." Charters and statutes provide for the inspection of all books, accounts, and papers ofmunicipal corpo- rations or of those of any municipal department, or bureau thereof,' and prescribe that, in case of refusal, the court may, on proper application, by rule compel inspection.10 It has been said that the purpose of such provisions is to prevent corruption and mismanage- ment in city government, and that the underlying theory is that publicity is a preventative or cure for such evils.' On the other hand, the right to inspect public documents and records at common law is not absolute. There may be situations where the harm done to the public interest may outweigh the right of a member of the public to have access to particular documents or records; thus, the one must. be balanced against the other in deter- mining whether to permit the inspection. 12 Inspection may be de- i - nied when public policy demands that certain records in the custody of public officials be kept secret, 13 a+g., police and law department records,"' and where public health or safety is concerned."' It has been declared, however, that contracts, bids, employment recons, etc., are not such documents or records the exposure of which would be' dangerous to the public interest or detrimental to its welfare." It has also been held that where access to the payroll records of a city police department was sought by a newspaper and reporter, disclosure would be granted where the records world not, In them- selves, operate to the prejudice or impairment of a person's reputa- tion or personal security." The possibility that the records, if used in conjunction vA th other information, might prejudice and impair the policemen's reputations did not exempt them from disclosure- x a Further, it has been held that disclosure of the payroll records of a city's policemen does not constitute an infringement of the officers' ' constitutionally guarded zone ofprivacy."' There is no right of inspection when it is sought to satisfy a per- son's mere whim or fancy, to engage in pastime, -to create scandal, to degrade another, to injure public morals, or to further any im- proper or useless purpose. Under some statutes there must be a III