IA Gov: Review of open records laws ‘appropriate’ after shooting

Gov. Terry Branstad said Monday that a review of the state's open records laws is "appropriate" following disagreements about whether video of a Cedar Rapids officer-involved shooting should be made public.

"This is kind of a recent development of these police cameras," he said. "I think it would be appropriate for us to carefully review our laws."

More

California Attorney General backs bill to improve disclosures on police shootings

California Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris wants to require police agencies to file detailed reports about officer-involved shootings to her office electronically, so they can be quickly and easily posted on a state website for public viewing.

Despite the heated national debate over police use of force, no reliable database tracks all police shootings in California, making it difficult for researchers to definitively answer some fundamental questions, including whether minorities are shot at disproportionately higher rates and which departments pull the trigger most often.

More

Pennsylvania bill makes it illegal to ID officers who shoot civilians

A Pennsylvania House committee gave an overwhelming thumbs-up to a bill Tuesday that would make it illegal for public officials to release the names of cops who shoot civilians until an “official investigation” is completed.

The panel passed the legislation unanimously.

Republican State. Rep. Martina White, a freshman lawmaker from Philadelphia, introduced the bill.

More

Texas website allows public access to details of officer-involved shootings

A new Texas website allows the public to access many of the details of every officer-involved shooting that results in injury or death.

The website was launched by the Texas Attorney General’s office in response to a new state law that requires law enforcement agencies to report all officer-involved shootings within 30 days from when the incident occurred. Continue…

More