Zac Dillon of our Integrity Unit was quoted in the Examiner and Mission Local when he spoke at the September 1, 2021, meeting of the San Francisco Police Commission where they were discussing proposed legislation, SB 16, to expand police transparency laws in California. Both the new legislation and the original police transparency bill, SB 1421, which was signed into law by former Governor Jerry Brown and went into effect in 2019, were spearheaded by California State Senator Nancy Skinner. SB 16 now heads to Governor Newsom’s desk for a signature. In the wake of new legislation, Mr. Dillon noted that the intent of 2019 law has barely been realized.
“The veil is very much still in place in San Francisco,” Zac Dillon, a legal assistant with the Public Defender’s Office who has pushed the department to release records under SB 1421, said at the meeting.
SF Examiner, Michael Barba “Lifting the veil of secrecy shrouding police misconduct”| September 2, 2021
“I regret to inform you that the veil is very much still in place in San Francisco, and the flood of requests … received three years ago have not been addressed,” Dillon said. “My office is still awaiting word on whether or not there even are records to be disclosed for 85 percent of SFPD officers. We’ve been waiting for so long, there’s already nearly another law authorizing the release of more records.”
Mission Local, Eleni Balakrishnan “New California police transparency bill awaits governor’s approval” | September 2, 2021