A list that contains the names of three Durham police officers, along with 260 others from New Hampshire with “credibility” issues, will be made public record “immediately” after a long fight by newspapers in the area trying to obtain the names. However, the non-redacted version has yet to be released.  

The Exculpatory Evidence Schedule (EES), also known as the “Laurie List,” was made to document the credibility of police officers if they were to testify in court, according to the Associated Press’ article on the topic. New Hampshire newspaper outlets have been trying to get a hold of the list since 2013.  

The three Durham officers are part of the larger list of whom have been caught being untruthful or using excessive force in their policing. Many of the officers, including the three from Durham, have resigned, and most of the incidents happened as many as 10 years ago.  

According to Durham Chief of Police David Kurz, two of the incidents involving Durham officers occurred in 2008 and one was in 2013, both regarding truthfulness. The “date of notification” to the New Hampshire Department of Justice, as listed on the EES, was September 5, 2018.  

“While I was terribly saddened by the events that lead to their resignations, it is critical that the Durham and University of New Hampshire [UNH] community understand that integrity at the Durham Police is a non-negotiable trait,” Kurz said. “It is important to understand that the Durham Police as an organization has the fortitude to do the right thing to ensure that our integrity is never compromised.”  

The police force that patrols Durham is a separate one that patrols UNH, as Kurz noted. UNH has its own set of police — if outside force is needed, or the UNH force calls the Durham station, they can work together. Kurz clarified that the three police involved on the list have not worked for Durham for 10 years, and only worked with UNH on “collaborated issues.” 

Kurz added that the selection process for his Durham unit results in only the “most qualified” and “honorable people being employed.” 

“As humans, we are not immune from making mistakes or errors, but we must have the moral and organizational compass to make corrections, do it better, and move forward,” Kurz said.  

There were no officers employed by the UNH Police Department on the list, but UNH Police Chief Paul Dean emphasized making sure police hired by him are truthful and held to a high standard.  

“The UNH Police Department is committed to the highest standards of accountability for the actions of its police officers,” Dean said. “Through our strong commitment to excellence in policing by being nationally accredited by both the Commission on Law Enforcement Accreditation (CALEA) and the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACELA), our diligence in recruitment and selection of police officers is paramount to our mission of keeping out campus safe for all to live, learn and visit.”