Before we start laying out the structure of our website, we want to make sure all of our data is complete.  When we initially requested data from the Norman Police Department, we asked for police officer's ID numbers but not their names, so that we wouldn't overstep our boundaries at first.  Now that we have most of the data, we feel like having the names of the officers is necessary.  However, the NPD is reluctant to let us have that information.  When I talked with one of the captains about it over the phone, he said that NPD generally doesn't give out the names of the officers.  He also mentioned that often, when someone is pulled over, it leads to other larger charges (drug/firearms possession, etc.), and he doesn't want to endanger that by providing the names of the officers.
We don't really see how these things correlate, but we do understand that the officers' names could be considered sensitive information (especially if they include undercover officers).  However, we aren't trying to "blow the cover" of any of these officers or whatever operations they may be taking part in.  We don't have any alternative agenda in compiling this data.  We're doing it because it is the public's right to see how their local law enforcement works.  We aren't working for or against the police department or criminals.
Hopefully we can speak face to face to the captain and agree that it's okay to release the officers' names.  Either way, we can obtain this information through open record requests, but we want to work on preserving and nurturing the relationship we have with the NPD.  They've been very helpful so far, and we don't want to ruin that by not having an honest conversation about this and sidestepping the captain to get the information we feel we need.