Related Stories
California keeps a secret list of criminal cops, but says you cant have it
Key Excerpts from Article on Website of Mercury News (Silicon Valley's leading newspaper)
Posted: March 11th, 2019
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/02/26/california-keeps-a-se...
Thousands of California law enforcement officers have been convicted of a crime in the past decade, according to records released by a public agency that sets standards for officers in the Golden State. The revelations are alarming, but the states top cop says Californians dont have a right to see them. In fact, Attorney General Xavier Becerra warned two Berkeley-based reporters that simply possessing this never-before-publicly-released list of convicted cops is a violation of the law. The California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training known as POST provided the information last month in response to routine Public Records Act requests from reporters. When [California Attorney General Xavier] Becerras office learned about the disclosure, it threatened the reporters with legal action unless they destroyed the records. The documents provide a rare glimpse at the volume of officer misconduct at a time of heightened interest over police accountability. The list includes cops who trafficked drugs, cops who stole money from their departments and even one who robbed a bank wearing a fake beard. Some sexually assaulted suspects. Others took bribes, filed false reports and committed perjury. A large number drove under the influence of drugs and alcohol sometimes killing people on the road. The Berkeley journalists chose not to publish the entire list until they could spend more time reporting to avoid misidentifying people among the nearly 12,000 names in the documents.
Note: An astounding August 2018 article in the Los Angeles Times reveals how California became the most secretive state on police misconduct. More here and on this webpage.
Related Stories
Latest News
Key News Articles from Years Past
