Topline
In a major win for criminal justice reform advocates, an appeals court ruled Tuesday that New York Police Department disciplinary records can be released to the public after a lawsuit from law enforcement unions sought to block their release.
New York Police Department (NYPD) officers gather as activists hold a rally in response to the ... [+]
Key Facts
A group of police and firefighter unions filed a lawsuit last year to prevent the release of NYPD records, arguing that doing so could endanger the lives of officers and put their future job prospects at risk.
In a unanimous ruling from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, the judges rejected that argument, saying that “many other States make similar misconduct records at least partially available to the public without any evidence of a resulting increase of danger to police officers.”
Hank Sheinkopf, a spokesperson for the unions, noted they will continue to “fight to protect our members’ safety and due process rights” and said the groups were reviewing their options for appeals.
The decision is a victory for civil rights advocates who argue that shielding disciplinary records prevents the public from holding officers accountable.
Key Background
Until last year, law enforcement disciplinary records were shielded from public view under a law passed in the 1970s. The law, known as 50-a, was repealed by state lawmakers last year amid the unrest following the death of George Floyd. After the law was repealed, Mayor Bill de Blasio de Blasio announced a plan to create a public and searchable database of NYPD disciplinary records. The coalition of unions sued to block their release soon after.
Crucial Quote
“Now, we can go even further to restore accountability and trust to the disciplinary process. Good riddance to 50-A. We look forward to releasing this data and will seek clarity from the court regarding when these records can be released.” de Blasio said in a statement.
What The Watch For
de Blasio said the city will be releasing the data after the officials get “clarity from the court regarding when these records can be released.”
