This Wyoming newspaper ditched its police blotter

The staff pledges to replace it with in-depth reporting about crime and safety trends

The Wyoming Tribune Eagle stopped publishing its arrest blotter on March 1. Only a few readers in Cheyenne, where the printed paper circulates, complained; which is a win in a small town.

It was a big step for a small publication trying to reform the way it covers crime. “Even though we’re the capital city, it’s still a really small town. There’s 65,000 people here,” crime and safety reporter Ivy Secrest said. ““For our audience, it’s a novelty interest to see what was going on in town, what little crimes are being committed.”

Police blotters and crime briefs are standard fare in many small town newspapers. The Tribune Eagle is one of the largest papers in the state with a daily print and digital circulation of about 7,000. For years, reporters at the paper had pushed to change or ditch the blotter, but they worried about the public reaction.