A new database on police use of force and misconduct in California makes public 1.5 million pages of once-secret police records

Steven JohnsrudeAugust 16, 2025

At Project Protocol, normalizing data transparency is our collective path towards making impactful changes in policing. Interpreting the story that data tells is the first step to making sense of policy.

California just launched the first statewide database of police misconduct and use-of-force records. It was built by a team of researchers, activist groups, and major media contributors led by UC Berkeley and Stanford University’s journalism programs. They combined the data from nearly 12,000 cases of misconduct, and with the use of AI, removed all private information and organized a searchable database. New transparency laws, S.B. 1421 (2018) and S.B. 16 (2021), made these records public for the first time.

By making once-hidden records easy to search, the database could transform police oversight in California. Families, reporters, activists, lawyers, and the public can now see patterns of misconduct that may change lives, push for better data-based policy, and provide a sense of safety to communities seeking justice.

Try it: https://clean.calmatters.org/

Project mission details: https://bids.berkeley.edu/california-police-records-access-project

Read the article: https://journalism.berkeley.edu/police-records-access/