The Nassau County PBA president is firing back today against allegations that documented acts of police misconduct are kept hidden from the public.
Under New York civil rights law 50-a, no official information about officer discipline is released to the public. It was established in the 1970s to ensure that defense attorneys could not use past allegations to attack a police officer's character on the witness stand.
Nassau PBA President James Carver defends the law and the police discipline policies currently in place. He says when it comes to police misconduct, more often than not justice is served. Carver is livid by reports from News 12 and Newsday that outline a litany of police misconduct cases. Carver told News 12 it is needed to protect officers against what he calls "fishing expeditions."
Critics, however, say there is a lack of transparency and accountability in Long Island's police departments.
Legislator Dave Denenberg says there needs to be hearings held on the issue. He believes the Legislature needs to probe whether any changes need to be implemented.