Senate Bill S9882

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S9882

SPONSOR: PARKER
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public officers law, in relation to disclosure of
certain law enforcement agency records

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

The purpose of the bill is to ensure that civilian complaint review
boards have full access to unredacted law enforcement disciplinary
records and personnel records when investigating incidents involving
police shootings or police misconduct. Specifically, the bill mandates
that these records be provided in their complete, unredacted form to
facilitate thorough and transparent investigations by civilian oversight
bodies.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends section 89 of the public officers law by adding a new
subdivision 2-d.
              

Section 2 provides the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Ensuring that civilian oversight bodies have full access to unredacted
records promotes transparency and accountability within law en forcement
agencies. This access allows for thorough and unbiased investigations,
helping to identify and address misconduct effectively.

By allowing civilian review boards to access complete records, the bill
aims to build public trust in the police oversight process.  When the
public sees that investigations into police misconduct are conducted
with full transparency, it can enhance the credibility and legitimacy of
both the review boards and the law enforcement agencies.

Access to unredacted records enables civilian complaint review boards to
conduct more comprehensive and accurate investigations.  Redacted infor-
mation can obscure critical details that are necessary for understanding
the context and severity of an incident, which is particularly important
in cases involving police shootings or serious misconduct.

Knowing that their actions and disciplinary records will be fully acces-
sible to oversight bodies can act as a deterrent for law enforcement
officers, encouraging them to adhere to proper conduct and procedures.

Overall, the bill seeks to enhance the effectiveness of civilian over-
sight, ensuring that investigations into police misconduct are based on
complete and accurate information, thereby fostering a culture of
accountability and integrity within law enforcement agencie

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVEHISTORY:

2019-20: S.4214-Referred to Codes 2017-18: S.3279-Referred to Codes
2015-16: S.1596-Referred to Codes 2013-14: S.2628-Referred to Codes
2011-12: S.1106-Referred to Codes 2009-10: S.1779-Referred to Codes
2008: S.8423 - Referred to Codes
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.