Don't let police officers get away with breaking the law!
The powerful police lobby is trying to kill an effort to undo a wrongheaded law that shields police officers who kill or sexually assault members of the public from accountability. But if we act now, we can turn the tide!
Senate Bill 1421, by Nancy Skinner, limits a 1970s-era law that keeps police disciplinary records from the public. When a police officer shoots or sexually assaults a member of the public, the community deserves to know what happened.
More importantly, we deserve to know how the department responded so we can determine whether the systems meant to hold officers accountable for their actions are working.
The Senate Public Safety Committee will vote on SB 1421 on Tuesday, and the bill needs as much support as possible. Will you sign our emergency petition calling on lawmakers to support public accountability for police officers by passing SB 1421?
Below is the text of the petition to Gov. Jerry Brown and the California State Legislature:
"I call on you to pass Senate Bill 1421 by Nancy Skinner into law. This important bill would ensure that police officers who abuse their power are held accountable by making information about investigations, findings, and discipline available to the public. We have a right to know what happens when police officers use deadly force, sexually assault civilians, or lie in the course of an investigation or prosecution. SB 1421 would eliminate the veil of secrecy and silence that shrouds police misconduct from the public view."
