Poll: Should State Police Overtime Be Public Info?

Under a new rule by New Jersey Attorney General Paula Dow, the public no longer has the right to information about State Police overtime figures.

NJ.com's Statehouse Bureau reported Wednesday that Dow's move is part of a larger campaign by the attorney general to keep certain trooper assignments confidential. A supporter said Dow's move helps protect undercover officers who can earn a lot in overtime payments from having their assignments or identities exposed.

But transparency advocates said Dow's rule flies in the face of accountability and access to how the state spends taxpayer money.

A New Jersey Foundation for Open Government representative said blocking access to overtime records restricts the Open Public Meetings Act and that similar moves will make the act "just be a puff of smoke."

New Jersey State Police troopers earned $25.5 million last year in overtime, according to NJ.com. The trooper with the most overtime brought in about $63,000.

What do you think? Is Dow right or should trooper overtime be subjected to open public records standards? Vote in our poll. Share your thoughts in the comments.

(This week it was announced that . Dow will work in the near-term as deputy general counsel for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and will also be nominated to the state Superior Court in Essex County, which she will join after she completes her work at the authority.)