New York Civil Rights Law Section 50-a prevents public disclosure of any police department documents that could potentially be used to evaluate an officer. This means, for example, police departments do not disclose which officers have excessive force complaints against them. It is clear that 50-a’s purpose is to protect abusive officers from public scrutiny. Many states in the US do not have such protections for police officers and New York should abolish this dangerous law.
Many organizations have come out against 50-a and there is potential for the State Legislature to repeal 50-a. One easy action you can take to support the repeal of 50-a is to call your State Assembly member and Senator and demand they support the repeal of 50-a.
To learn more about 50-a see: Key Documents about 50a.