Opening police records to routine and systematic public scrutiny is the way to stop officer misconduct, argues First Amendment Coalition Executive Director David Snyder in an op-ed published in The Mercury News.
Snyder wrote in support of California bills to enhance police transparency, including SB 16, which would require disclosure of records related to misconduct. The First Amendment Coalition is a member of the National Freedom of Information Coalition.
“We have seen departments deny access to records by failing to complete investigations of misconduct when officers resign or retire,” Snyder wrote. “We have seen departments delay requests or seek to charge over $2,000 for records, which denies access to those that do not have the funds or ability to challenge those costs in court.”
Read the entire column, below.