A group of Syracuse University student journalists started their data journalism class last fall with one big question: What is being done to keep police with the worst misconduct cases from working in law enforcement again?
But that seemingly straightforward approach helped launch a months-long investigation that revealed striking oversight and enforcement gaps in a crucial disciplinary process for law enforcement officers in New York, called decertification.
What follows is a behind-the-scenes look into how a team of student journalists, professional reporters and editors worked together to improve public safety in New York.
How NY lawmakers, experts shed light on decertification problems
To improve public understanding of the complex world of policing, reporters doggedly chased down interviews with state lawmakers involved with police accountability and transparency legislation, as well as a diverse mix of outside experts in the field.
Two state senators gave insight into pending legislation and further steps they say are needed for holding officers accountable. Professors and researchers also provided context on the purpose and effectiveness of decertification, asserting that some agencies support it as a tool for weeding out “bad seed” officers, while noting that it may not be consistently or equitably enforced.
Why digging into data and records was crucial to our journalism
Wading through the state Division of Criminal Justice Services’ public decertification database proved challenging, too. Without a data dictionary, references to legal designations of police and peace officers required external research. The team also raised questions about the structure of the database, such as what it meant when an officer had two recorded dates of removal for cause — or decertification — from the same agency.
Since, as we later learned, few details are required of agencies that submit officers for decertification to DCJS, the database only listed limited information for the underlying reason behind firing, such as if an officer was removed during their probationary period.
Many police departments also stonewalled reporters’ attempts to uncover more specific reasons behind their officers’ decertification, prompting us to turn to public-records requests. And while many of those inquiries under the Freedom of Information Law were delayed or denied, the effort led to other findings, including that DCJS doesn’t require and rarely receives key documents related to decertification.
How we hold state officials accountable
Throughout the reporting, several other questions emerged surrounding decertification and how it works, how the data is tracked and what role individual police agencies play in the process.
However, none of our student journalists in the fall were able to secure a phone interview with representatives from DCJS, the state agency that oversees the police decertification process. A list of questions emailed by one of our student journalists went unanswered for nearly three months — leaving our reporters without an essential perspective.
Earlier this year, we experienced a breakthrough with communication, allowing us to ask the hard questions, receive written answers to pressing questions and ensure DCJS had a voice in our stories. We spoke to the agency’s representative in an exclusive interview in February, in which we had the opportunity to question the agency about the law and what it means for public safety.
These tough conversations with lawmakers and DCJS have revealed why New York’s efforts to close the legal and regulatory gaps have fallen short, and how some bad officers can don their badge again.
Two stories from our investigation have been published with more on the way. Be sure to check back for our continued coverage of police decertification in New York state.
This story is part of a series called Shielded From Consequence, looking at the decertification of law enforcement officers in New York. The series is produced in partnership with Syracuse University and Central Current, a Syracuse nonprofit newsroom.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Police decertification is broken in NY. How we reported the story
Reporting by Kendall Luther and Kiran Hubbard, USA TODAY NETWORK / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
