Gov. Cuomo to sign bill overturning law that kept police disciplinary records secret

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to sign a bill that will overturn a law shielding police disciplinary records.

News 12 Staff

Jun 10, 2020, 9:44 AM

Updated 1,585 days ago

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to sign a bill that will overturn a law shielding police disciplinary records.  
Thousands of people have been marching for a repeal of the law, as well as many advocates pushing for the repeal of 50-a.
The decades-old law kept law enforcement officers disciplinary records secret, stopping the public from knowing about police misconduct or anything that had to do with any action taken against an officer. Advocates have been demanding to end what some call the "secrecy law."
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Meanwhile, the City Council Committee on Public Safety presented six bills that will make it easier to report police misconduct. Some include requiring police officers to have visible badge numbers, establishing an early intervention system to better identify officers with performance issues, as well as a bill reaffirming the right for New Yorkers to record police.
State Sen. Jamaal Bailey, who proposed the bill to repeal 50-a, told News 12 repealing that provision would make officers' records and misconduct complaints public.
“We respect and appreciate the incredibly difficult job that law enforcement does. I know that sometimes there's always a disconnect when you do law enforcement related bills. I just want to ensure that we have the ability to see if there are bad apples on the force, that we have the transparency and the ability to look at the records so that we can trust the police department like I want to, like you want to, like everybody wants to,” says Sen. Bailey.
Gov. Cuomo is expected to sign the bill this week.