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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Should the government be allowed to keep the names of police officers secret from the news media and public?

A bill moving forward in Virginia would do that, and it's drawing sharp criticism from open records advocates who say the names are an important tool in keeping watch over whether police departments are hiring problem officers with taxpayer money. Supporters say handing over the lists of names would put officers and deputies in danger at a time of what they describe as growing contempt toward law enforcement.

"It used to be that there was a healthy respect for law enforcement," said Republican Sen. John Cosgrove, the bill's sponsor. "Now they've become targets of opportunity."

While officers have been threatened, particularly in high-profile cases, opponents call the bill an extreme reaction to an unlikely scenario.

The bill was introduced in response to a recent court ruling directing the state to turn over the names and employment dates of thousands of law enforcement officials to The Virginian-Pilot. The paper has said it's seeking to determine whether problem officers who leave a department land a job at another agency.