Panel Discussion: The Fight for Police Transparency & the Impact of 50-a 🗣️

#50a #policetransparency For decades, police departments across the state have fought tooth and nail to keep New Yorkers in the dark about the extent of police misconduct in their communities and what—if anything—departments have done to create accountability. In 2020, following years of work by advocates and impacted families, 50-a—the NY law that was used to keep police records secret -- was finally repealed. Five years after the repeal, our panelists discussed the lessons they have learned from fighting for police transparency and accountability, the impact of their work, and the challenges that lie ahead for more accountable policing. Panelists: Bobby Hodgson, NYCLU Assistant Legal Director Brendan J. Lyons, Times Union Managing Editor Dr. Lesli Myers-Small, Rochester Police Accountability Board Executive Director Kayla Canne, Democrat and Chronicle reporter Beryl Lipton, USA Today Police Discipline Data Coordinator Jennvine Wong, Legal Aid Society Supervising Attorney Sammy Sussman, New York Times Local Investigations Fellow Moderator: Michael Sisitzky, NYCLU Assistant Director of Policy Discussion highlights: 00:00 Intro by moderator Michael Sisitzky, NYCLU Assistant Director of Policy 05:55 Bobby Hodgson, NYCLU Assistant Legal Director, on what happened following the repeal of 50-a, the campaign the NYCLU launched, and what the fight looks like. 15:35 Jennvine Wong, Legal Aid Society Supervising Attorney, on Legal Aid Society's role and the work impacted by the repeal of 50-a 20:23 Journalists discuss their journeys in collecting police disciplinary records. 21:40 Brendan J. Lyons, Times Union Managing Editor 25:27 Beryl Lipton, USA Today Police Discipline Data Coordinator 30:00 Kayla Canne, Democrat and Chronicle reporter 31:40 Sammy Sussman, New York Times Local Investigations Fellow 34:28 Roundtable discussion with journalists on the impact of their reporting in communities, the stories that have stayed with them, and how their findings have been received. 41:06 Dr. Lesli Myers-Small, Rochester Police Accountability Board Executive Director, on the Police Accountability Board and the challenges they are facing. 52:01 Q&A https://www.nyclu.org/commentary/times-up-for-secrecy-in-ny-police-departments