Since the fall, New Hampshire police stations have no longer had the authority to release accident reports – something they’ve been doing for decades.
A proposal to restore that power was backed unanimously Tuesday by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
It wasn’t just the senators who supported the change, there were representatives from insurance companies, defense lawyers and several police chiefs, including Dover Police Chief Anthony Colarusso.
“We want to be able to serve the public and have them settle their claims and their issues surrounding accidents without delay,” Colarusso told lawmakers.
Under the current policy, the DMV is in charge of accident reports, which can take weeks to even months to process and may lack crucial witness statements and photos attached in the police reports.
If the new measure passes the full Senate and House, this task would go back to police.
