Two investigative stories by graduates of the UC Berkeley Journalism Investigative Reporting Program have resulted in new California laws aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in policing. Governor Gavin Newsom signed two bills last week inspired by reporting from Brian Howey, Katey Rusch, and Casey Smith.
Brian Howey’s 2023 investigation, “We Regret to Inform You,” published by Reveal/Mother Jones and the Los Angeles Times, exposed a police practice where officers sought information from family members about loved ones before informing them that the person had been killed or injured by police. This reporting led to Assembly Bill 572, sponsored by Assembly Member Ash Kalra. The bill restricts this tactic and requires changes in California police department policies by January 2027.
Another investigation, “Right to Remain Secret,” conducted by Katey Rusch and Casey Smith for the San Francisco Chronicle, uncovered how some police departments used “clean records agreements” to hide officer misconduct. These agreements allowed officers with problematic histories to move between departments without their full record being disclosed. Assembly Bill 1388, introduced by Assembly Member Isaac Bryan, will ban such agreements in California starting January 1, 2026.
“These two projects — and the legislation they’ve provoked — are a reminder that powerful investigative reporting doesn’t just illuminate abuses of power but it often spurs reforms aimed at ending those abuses,” said David Barstow, chair of the UC Berkeley Journalism Investigative Reporting Program. “They are also yet another demonstration of the incredible investigative storytelling our Berkeley Journalism students are consistently producing.”
The new laws are expected to provide greater transparency around policing practices in California. Rusch noted that not only will these measures stop questionable practices going forward but will also make past records of police misconduct accessible through a new database created with input from journalists and data scientists: “What makes this legislation powerful is that it doesn’t just stop the practice going forward — it peels back the curtain on what’s already been done… That’s accountability, not just reform.”
George Parampathu, legislative attorney with the ACLU, commented on AB1388 in an interview with Rusch for the San Francisco Chronicle: he said the law would put “public safety over the police lobby’s self-interest” and ultimately help protect communities.
Rusch has managed public records requests at Berkeley’s IRP and written several articles about clean-records agreements. One recent piece described how an Oakland officer linked to a notorious group known as The Riders later became an FBI agent in Boston involved in a fatal shooting during an interrogation related to the Boston Marathon bombing case.
Rusch remarked that police departments have for too long erased evidence of misconduct: she said this has harmed trust between law enforcement agencies and communities.
Trust was also central to Howey’s reporting on deceptive death notifications used by some California law enforcement agencies—a story he began while still a student under David Barstow’s supervision. The investigation recounted incidents like that of Diana Showman who was shot by San Jose police; her father was questioned about her mental health before being told she had died.
The practice was promoted widely through training materials authored by Bruce Praet from Lexipol but appears less common outside California.
Howey shared feedback from families affected by these tactics after AB572 passed: “For them, it’s just a small drop in a big bucket of injustice, and the fight for police accountability is an uphill battle,” he said.
Despite ongoing challenges faced by journalism today, Howey emphasized his motivation comes from seeing tangible results: “This is proof that our work is more essential than ever and that it does have an impact.”
Both stories received recognition through multiple journalism awards including Polk Awards; Rusch, Smith and UC Berkeley’s Investigative Reporting Program were Pulitzer Prize finalists for “Right to Remain Secret” earlier this year.
