A new bill in Texas could change how the public can see police records. This bill, called Senate Bill 15, has already passed the Senate and is now waiting for a vote in the House. It has the support of a large police union in the state but is not liked by groups that want more government transparency.
What’s in the Police Records Bill?
This bill would create a new type of file for police misconduct records. These records would include information about bad behavior, investigations, and any punishments given to officers. The public would not be able to look at this new file. However, other police departments could see it when they are hiring. This file could also be used by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement and during certain criminal court cases.
People who support the bill say it is important to protect the privacy of police officers. They believe that officers should not be treated differently based on where they work. These supporters also say the public could still get some information about police misconduct, just not from this new file. They argue that other ways to get these records would still be available.
On the other hand, people who are against the bill say it would make it much harder to hold police officers accountable for their actions. They worry that it would create a “secret file” of police misconduct. They believe it would be much more difficult for regular people to find out what happened and get the records they need. This would make it harder to know if the police are doing their jobs correctly.
Senate Bill 15 has already been passed by the Senate and is now awaiting a vote in the House. If it passes the House, it will be sent to the governor for his signature.