Efforts are underway in New York to repeal Section 50-a of the state's Civil Rights Law.

In a recent analysis, Brechner Center director Frank LoMonte wrote:

"New York has one of the broadest police-secrecy laws in the country, providing that 'all personnel records used to evaluate performance toward continued employment or promotion' are regarded as 'confidential and not subject to inspection or review' unless the officer waives confidentiality (which never happens).

"In 2018, BuzzFeed News sued to get access to transcripts of New York Police Department misconduct hearings. They lost the case — but then obtained a tranche of previously-withheld police disciplinary records from a leaker, anyway. The results were grimly revealing: More than 300 officers had been found culpable of firing-level misconduct (including perjury and beating up innocent people), yet remained on the force."

https://medium.com/@UFbrechnercenter/the-secret-police-officer-miscondu…

Section 50-a erects a nearly impenetrable barrier to disclosure of disciplinary records of *police officers, firefighters and corrections staff*.

Unlike the disciplinary records of all other public employees, the law extends protection to these three classes of public employees, declaring that their disciplinary records "shall be considered confidential and not subject to inspection or review without the express written consent of" the individual in question.

Notwithstanding opposition from police organizations, Governor Andrew Cuomo has expressed support for repeal of the current law and enactment of a law ensuring public access to police officer disciplinary records.

"If they're being charged and investigated for abuse, their prior disciplinary record is relevant," the governor explained, noting that in cases of unsubstantiated complaints, those records may also exonerate police officers.