Though there are still many open questions about the effect of 50-a’s repeal on problematic police officer transparency, it’s a development that highlights the value access can have for the integrity of the criminal justice system.

A New York state senator blasted MuckRock’s latest transparency project to access police disciplinary records, calling it an “unintended consequence” of recent legislation designed to allow access to police disciplinary records.

In this week’s roundup, a look at policing transparency efforts around the country, as well as ways that you can help bring transparency to your own community.

Lawmakers in both houses of New York’s legislature voted to repeal Section 50-A of the state’s civil rights law, a move intended to eliminate the barrier between the public and police disciplinary histories.

Secretive federal agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are notorious for refusing to confirm or deny the existence of their records. The issue becomes trickier when local law enforcement agencies, tasked with serving their communities, reply to public records requests in similar fashion. The New York Police Department has used the infamous “Glomar response” in the past to keep records secret, but this week a New York court ruled that the NYPD can’t use it this time.