Two investigative reports produced by alumni of the UC Berkeley Investigative Reporting Program have contributed to the passage of two new California laws on police practices. The work, which has received multiple journalism awards, led directly to legislation signed last week by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Brian Howey’s 2023 investigation “We Regret to Inform You,” published by Reveal/Mother Jones and the Los Angeles Times, exposed a pattern in which police obtained information from family members about loved ones before informing them that those individuals had been killed or injured by law enforcement. This reporting prompted Assembly Member Ash Kalra to sponsor AB572, a bill restricting this practice. The law will require changes in California police department policies by January 2027.
Another investigation, “Right to Remain Secret” by Katey Rusch and Casey Smith, published in the San Francisco Chronicle, revealed that some California police departments used so-called “clean records agreements” to hide misconduct and abuse. These agreements allowed officers with problematic histories to move between departments without their full records following them. In response, Assembly Member Isaac Bryan sponsored AB1388, which bans such agreements 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 aim to increase transparency around policing in California. Rusch noted that past sealed records of police misconduct will now be accessible through a new database developed with input from journalists and data scientists at the IRP. She said: “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, told the San Francisco Chronicle that this law puts “public safety over the police lobby’s self-interest” and is expected to help protect communities.
Rusch manages public records requests at Berkeley’s IRP and has reported extensively on clean-records agreements. One recent story highlighted how an Oakland officer associated with a group known as the Riders later became an FBI agent in Boston and was involved in a fatal interrogation related to the Boston Marathon bombers.
Howey’s investigation detailed cases where families were kept uninformed about deaths while being questioned for information about victims’ backgrounds. One example involved Diana Showman, who was shot by San Jose police after brandishing a cordless drill; her father was interrogated about her mental health before being told she had died.
The practice Howey investigated was promoted by Bruce Praet of Lexipol and spread through police training materials in California but is not believed to be common elsewhere.
Both reporters emphasized ongoing challenges despite legislative progress. Howey said he has spoken with affected families who see these changes as only part of broader efforts toward accountability: “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 result as far as journalism goes is ‘the best thing you can possibly hope for out of this work. It beats the hell out of any journalism award.’”
Both stories have won multiple awards including Polk Awards; Rusch, Smith and IRP were Pulitzer Prize finalists for their work on “Right to Remain Secret.” Howey described seeing real-world impact from his reporting as motivating: “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.”
