MuckRock readers told us where to look for police disciplinary files in more than 20 states across the country. We’re kicking off 2025 and getting those requests rolling.
In each state, we’re going to some district attorneys and asking them to provide us with materials they hold on police misconduct:
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Any and all lists, spreadsheets or other organized datasets that detail potential or substantiated allegations of misconduct and/or impeached or impeachable testimony, created under Brady v. Maryland and/or Giglio v. United States.
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Any and all records regarding substantiated allegations of misconduct or violations of internal department policy or criminal law by specific law enforcement officers.
If you’re interested in following along, you can check out our Brady lists and police disciplinary files page, home to all the requests, articles and updates.
The inspiration and approach for this request comes from reporter Sammy Sussman, who is part of a collaboration between MuckRock, New York Focus and a team of reporters called Behind the Badge.
Behind the Badge tried a new strategy for requesting documents about police misconduct: Rather than relying on police departments to disclose misconduct allegations against their own, the project requested these records from the district attorney’s offices. District attorneys have these records because United States criminal law normally requires that all “material” evidence that undermines the credibility of a police officer who testifies must be shared with a defendant during a case. By requesting through district attorney offices, Behind the Badge obtained tens of thousands of pages of previously unreleased police disciplinary files from hundreds of agencies around New York state.
Behind the Badge has exposed homeless services officers in New York City who used excessive force, like one who broke the bone of a resident at a homeless shelter, a school officer who had a relationship with a student and continued to be rehired across the state — even police departments who claimed they have no misconduct records at all.
Our goal is to expand this work to police departments across the country with your help.