"A landmark 2018 state law opened up police misconduct records after decades of secrecy. Now, in the final days of the Legislature's current session, a state lawmaker is trying to once again close the door on transparency. The Legislature and California residents should be outraged at this maneuver that would undermine law enforcement accountability. We must not return to the days of secrecy about bad cops."
"Some of the information in those records has been startling. For example, we've learned of a lack of punishment for San Jose cops who inflicted serious injuries on civilians and of excessive and often reckless use of police dogs in Richmond. Meanwhile, we learned that more than 80 law enforcement officers working in California were convicted criminals with rap sheets that included everything from animal cruelty to manslaughter."
Senate Bill 1421, passed in 2018, opened police misconduct records and enabled investigative reporting and a public UC Berkeley/Stanford database. Reporting revealed failures to discipline San Jose officers, excessive dog use in Richmond, and more than 80 officers with criminal convictions. Assembly Bill 1178 received last-minute amendments that would broaden secrecy by allowing agencies to withhold records for any officers whose duties demand anonymity. The bill provides no standard defining which duties qualify for anonymity. The anonymity exception would substantially undermine SB 1421's transparency and could allow agencies to conceal misconduct.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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