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U.S. NEWS Saturday 13 June 2020
Police disciplinary records are largely kept secret in U.S.

Continued from Front the New York Civil Liberties
Union, rejected the notion,
While the U.S. considers advanced largely by Re-
ways to reform American publicans, that police dis-
policing following the so- ciplinary records should be
metimes violent protests kept private like medical
that erupted nationwide information.
over Floyd’s death in Min- “They have no privacy in-
neapolis, complaint data terest in acts of miscon-
is getting renewed atten- duct, in the use of force or
tion as a way to track and the killing of civilians,” he
correct rogue officers and said. “When a police of-
perhaps head off more se- ficer walks out the door in
rious instances of brutality. uniform, they’re a public
Both Democratic and official, and all of their con-
Republican reform bills in duct should be subject to
Congress would make of- public scrutiny.”
ficers’ disciplinary records In Philadelphia, Pownall’s
public and create a natio- record was made public
nal database of allegati- along with that of a few
ons — a shift in political will other officers named in
that didn’t exist just a few hundreds of complaints af-
years ago. Police advoca- ter reporters filed freedom
tes argue that withholding In this May 13, 2019, file photo New York City police officer Daniel Pantaleo leaves his house in of information requests in
allegations is necessary to Staten Island, N.Y. 2018. As for Chauvin, who
protect officers’ privacy Associated Press is charged with murder in
and keep them safe. Po- 24% were substantiated, nel file full of “frightfully had eight disciplinary ca- Floyd’s death, his records
lice unions have fought in according to the city’s in- similar” complaints from ses of abuse and exces- became public after similar
contract negotiations and dependent Civilian Com- women of sexual miscon- sive force, four of which requests — and the details
in state legislatures for con- plaint Review Board. duct. It wasn’t until his file were substantiated. But his are still being withheld.
fidentiality. In some cases, Bowling Green State Uni- was leaked to a local TV record was secret until a Many departments disclose
records are erased after as versity criminologist Phil station that he faced any staff member at the review portions of officers’ com-
little as two years. Stinson, who has collected discipline. board leaked it. The staffer plaint files. Some release
“The unfettered release of data on thousands of po- Around 40% of current New later resigned. files only for certain time
police personnel records lice charged, investigated York City police officers New York legislators this periods. Some withhold
will allow unstable people or convicted of crimes, said have never received a ci- week voted to repeal the complaints if the internal
to target police officers that most officers go throu- vilian complaint, while 32% law that kept officers’ na- investigation did not sub-
and our families for ha- gh their careers with few have one or two, and one mes secret along with spe- stantiate them. Others, like
rassment or worse,” said complaints against them, officer has 52, the highest, cifics about complaints many Texas departments,
Patrick Lynch, head of the and that generally a small according to the review made against them. The re- hold back cases that did
Patrolmen’s Benevolent percentage of officers ac- board. peal passed largely along not result in a suspension or
Association in New York count for an outsize share In New York, Pantaleo, the party lines, and Democra- firing. But in most cases, the
City. “A dangerous cop- of complaints. officer who put Garner in a tic Gov. Andrew Cuomo information is released only
hater only needs a police Stinson recalled an Atlanta chokehold in 2014 but was signed it Friday. if the person requesting it
officer’s name, linked to a officer who had a person- not indicted in his death, Chris Dunn, legal director of names the officer.q
few false or frivolous com-
plaints, to be inspired to Rhode Island is asked to strip ‘Plantations’ from true name
commit violence.”
Personal information on of-
ficers is already being lea- By WILLIAM J. KOLE tual ballot question this No-
ked online, according to Associated Press vember. "In no way am I try-
an intelligence document PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — ing to erase history. But we
from the U.S. Department The smallest U.S. state has shouldn't glorify our shame-
of Homeland Security, ob- the longest name, and it's ful past," Tyson Pianka, a
tained by The Associated not sitting well with some in University of Rhode Island
Press. the George Floyd era. sophomore who organized
Police unions argue, too, Officially, Rhode Island was the petition drive, said in an
that the overwhelming incorporated as The State interview. "I've been trying
majority of complaints are of Rhode Island and Provi- to find a place where I can
deemed unsubstantiated dence Plantations when make a difference," said Pi-
after internal investiga- it declared statehood in anka, 20, who is half black.
tions. But that argument 1790. Now, opponents "Now is a perfect time to do
carries no weight with the have revived an effort to it." Name alterations have
many activists who say po- lop off the plantations ref- been attempted before —
lice departments tend to erence, saying it evokes most recently in 2010, when In this May 1, 2020 file photo, James Dunn stands outside the
protect their own. the legacy of slavery. nearly eight in 10 voters statehouse in Providence, R.I. with a handmade sign.
Out of about 5,000 com- An online petition aims to rejected the shorter name Associated Press
plaints brought against ask the state to shorten the in a referendum. But sup- death and calls for an end of a white Minneapolis po-
New York City officers last name to just Rhode Island, porters say they're feeling to racial injustice. Floyd, lice officer who pressed a
year for offenses such as a nonbinding campaign a fresh sense of urgency who was black, was hand- knee into his neck long af-
discourtesy, excessive for- intended to generate mo- and determination as the cuffed when he died on ter he pleaded for air and
ce and abuse of authority, mentum toward an even- nation reckons with Floyd's Memorial Day at the hands then went limp.q