In the records, officers searched bags they weren’t supposed to, struck people who were detained, and discriminated against colleagues and members of the public. Some officers faced discipline multiple times.
Early on a Thursday in 2021, San Diego police officers were searching a business in the community of El Cerrito for gambling suspects. Brandon Woodward, then a sergeant, was supervising.
The case was among more than 80 investigatory files detailing various forms of San Diego police misconduct that were recently released under Senate Bill 16. The year-old state law makes public previously secret law enforcement records that detail when peace officers made unlawful arrests or searches, used unreasonable or excessive force, failed to intervene when another officer used unreasonable or excessive force or practiced discrimination.
“I think we get attacked a lot for the blue wall of silence,” said Jared Wilson, president of the San Diego Police Officers Assn. “I think this will show that we have the ability to hold each other accountable.” Several local law enforcement agencies had previously released a handful of records under the law. Last week, the San Diego Police Department disclosed dozens of cases — all from before 2022 and some going back to the 1980s. Many of the officers involved have retired or are no longer with the department, officials said.
The files were also held by a variety of city departments, such as the city attorney’s office, which may also be involved in some police-misconduct investigations. Jordon said pulling the records together will probably result in a request for changes in how the city maintains its files to make compliance easier in the future. Additional personnel may also be needed.
Policies that explicitly require officers or deputies to intervene when their co-workers use unreasonable or excessive force are relatively new. Agencies around the county — and nationwide — made it a priority after Floyd’s death. Just a month later, for instance, the San Diego Police Department announced a duty-to-intervene and de-escalation policies.Before SB 1421 and SB 16, California was one of the most secretive states in the country concerning law enforcement records, experts said.
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