A police transparency bill helmed by a Bay Area lawmaker and inspired by a sexual misconduct case involving a former San Jose police officer is now law, increasing the ability of law enforcement in California to reveal when an officer is fired for cause.
Senate Bill 400, authored by State Sen. Aisha Wahab, D-Fremont, amends state law so that allow police agencies don’t need a public records request to announce when they fire an officer for misconduct and offer details about the termination within the bounds of existing police transparency laws.
“In partnership with law enforcement, this law bolsters efforts for transparency and accountability in law enforcement and reinforces trust with the public,” Wahab said in a statement.
One of the catalysts for the bill, which was signed Feb. 29 by Gov. Gavin Newsom, was a 2022 scandal in which ex-San Jose Police Department officer Matthew Dominguez was arrested after allegations he was caught masturbating while working a domestic disturbance call. Dominguez was fired and put on a state decertification list that puts him on track to be permanently barred from being a police officer in California.