Police Secrecy A Nationwide Problem

An analysis by WNYC in New York found that many states struggle with transparency when it comes to bad cops.

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We’ve written a lot at Civil Beat about the secrecy surrounding police misconduct in Hawaii.

Just click here or here to get a sense of how pervasive it is.

But the Aloha State isn’t alone when it comes to keeping information about bad cops confidential.

As WNYC in New York reports, many other states also shield important information about officers from the public.

The radio station even compiled a useful guide to compare the states to one another.

Click on the image to see WYNC's analysis.
Click on the image to see WYNC’s analysis. 

WNYC’s analysis places Hawaii somewhere in the middle when it comes to secrecy. New York is one of the most restrictive states.

While most disciplinary records here are confidential, the public is able to get access to some of that information when an officer is fired.

Civil Beat has filed a lawsuit to increase police transparency in the state. The case is now pending at the Hawaii Supreme Court.

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