Is police misconduct a secret in your state?
By The TakeawayIs police misconduct a secret in your state?
By The Takeaway
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In the weeks after Cleveland Police Officer Tim Loehmann shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice last November, the Cleveland Plain Dealer discovered that Loehmann had problems learning to use firearms in his previous job. Plain Dealer reporters could access Loehmann’s files because Ohio is one of a handful of states in which an officer’s disciplinary and personnel records are available to the public. A new investigation by WNYC Reporter Robert Lewis and WNYC’s Data News team finds that these laws vary widely across the country. Gary MacNamara, police chief of Fairfield, Connecticut, discusses the influence of open records on his department.
More on this investigation: The Hard Truth About Cops Who Lie • When a Cop’s Right to Privacy Undermines Our Right to a Fair Trial • New York Leads in Shielding Police Misconduct • Reporter Robert Lewis Discusses National Implications on The Takeaway