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Momentum Picks Up for California Police Reform

Wednesday, June 6, 2007 permalink


A bill to jump-start police oversight in California passed the state Senate 21-10. Less than 24 hours later, the L.A. City Council voted 12-1 to endorse SB 1019 before a vote by the Assembly that would make it law.

"Cities must be able to decide for themselves if they should allow open hearings," the ACLU/SC's Peter Bibring said before the council vote. "No one can credibly profess to support open and transparent policing without endorsing this bill."

SB 1019 will reverse a recent court decision that threatened 30 years of police reform. Los Angeles and several other California cities previously allowed access to disciplinary hearings for the media and members of the public.

The ACLU/SC believes effective civilian review of complaints and use-of-force incidents protects citizens from police misconduct and builds trust between police officers and the communities they serve. SB 1019 won the support of key police leaders across the state and California newspapers. The bill now goes to the Assembly for final approval.

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