Thousands Of California Police Records Now Publicly Available | KQED
Briefly

A new database in California provides public access to serious use of force and police misconduct incidents, allowing insight into over 12,000 previously confidential records. This initiative took seven years and involved collaboration from journalists, data scientists, and advocates. Senate Bill 1421, enacted in 2018, began the movement towards greater transparency by unsealing records of officer misconduct, including cases of excessive force, dishonesty, and discrimination. Subsequent legislation further expanded access to these important records, enhancing police accountability in the state.
The free database, which has been in the works for seven years and contains files for almost 12,000 cases, promises to give anyone insight into police shootings and officers' past behavior.
For decades, misconduct and use-of-force records for California law enforcement officers were among the most difficult to obtain.
That began to change in 2018 with the passage of Senate Bill 1421, the 'Right to Know' Act, which came about with the help of police accountability advocates.
The law unsealed records for incidents in which officers fired a gun or used force resulting in serious injury or death.
Read at Kqed
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