Two investigations conducted by alumni of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism’s Investigative Reporting Program have led to new laws aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in California policing.
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 gathered information from family members about a loved one before revealing that the person had been killed or injured by police. This reporting prompted Assembly Member Ash Kalra to sponsor AB572, which will restrict this practice and require changes in police department policies statewide by January 2027.
Another investigation, “Right to Remain Secret” by Katey Rusch and Casey Smith, published in the San Francisco Chronicle, revealed how some California police departments used so-called “clean records agreements” to hide misconduct. These agreements allowed officers with histories of abuse or other violations to move between departments without their full records following them. In response, Assembly Member Isaac Bryan introduced AB1388, which will make such agreements illegal as of 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 aim to increase public access to information about past police misconduct through a database developed with help from journalists and data scientists at UC Berkeley’s IRP. Rusch commented on this development: “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.”
In an article for the San Francisco Chronicle about AB1388’s passage, George Parampathu of the ACLU stated that the law prioritizes public safety over police self-interest and could help protect communities.
Rusch has managed public records requests at Berkeley’s IRP and reported extensively on clean-records agreements. Her recent work documented how an Oakland officer associated with controversial policing practices later became an FBI agent involved in a fatal shooting during an interrogation in Boston.
Howey began his investigation into deceptive death notifications while he was a student at UC Berkeley. His reporting included cases like that of Diana Showman, who was shot by San Jose police in 2019 after pointing what appeared to be a weapon; her father was questioned about her mental health without being told she had died hours earlier. The tactic was promoted through training materials authored by Bruce Praet from Lexipol and spread widely within California law enforcement agencies.
Howey noted that while families affected by these tactics view legislative change as progress, there is still much work ahead: “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 added: “The best thing you can possibly hope for out of this work. It beats the hell out of any journalism award.”
Both investigations have received recognition including Polk Awards; Rusch, Smith and IRP were Pulitzer Prize finalists for their reporting on clean-records agreements.
Reflecting on his motivation as a journalist following these legislative outcomes, Howey said: “It’s really easy to feel despair at this moment when the world is going to hell and the journalism industry is falling down around us. This is proof that our work is more essential than ever and that it does have an impact.”
