Wednesday, September 16, 2015
4:30 to 6:00 p.m.
UC Irvine School of Law, Room EDU 1131 (map)
Police-involved fatal shootings of black men, long ignored by the media, are now viewed daily by millions via viral videos. The First Amendment Coalition and UC Irvine School of Law present a panel discussion to examine issues of police secrecy and the public’s right to know about law enforcement tactics.
In California the public has virtually NO access to police records–records of criminal investigations and records of internal reviews of police conduct. Most other states provide greater public access.
Law enforcement defends California’s high degree of secrecy as necessary to protect due process rights of police, the integrity of ongoing investigations, and the privacy of witnesses and suspects. Critics counter that more transparency would deter police misconduct and cause law enforcement to be more accountable to voters, while ultimately making policing safer by enhancing the legitimacy of police departments. | 