Two investigative reports by alumni of the UC Berkeley Investigative Reporting Program (IRP) have led to the enactment of two new California laws aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in policing.
Brian Howey, a 2021 graduate, produced an investigation titled “We Regret to Inform You,” which was published by Reveal/Mother Jones and the Los Angeles Times in 2023. The report exposed how police routinely gathered information from families about loved ones before disclosing that those individuals had been killed or injured by police. This reporting resulted in Assembly Bill 572, sponsored by Assembly Member Ash Kalra, which will restrict such practices and is set to be implemented in California police department policies by January 2027.
A separate investigation called “Right to Remain Secret” was conducted by Katey Rusch and Casey Smith, both 2020 graduates. Published in the San Francisco Chronicle, their work uncovered the use of “clean records agreements” that allowed some officers with histories of misconduct to move between departments without full disclosure of their records. This practice will become illegal under AB1388, led by Assembly Member Isaac Bryan. The law takes effect on 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 increase transparency regarding police conduct in California. According to Rusch, past records related to police misconduct or abuse that were previously sealed will now be available through a new database created with input from journalists and data scientists at IRP. “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,” she said. “That’s accountability, not just reform.”
George Parampathu, a legislative attorney with the ACLU quoted in Rusch’s San Francisco Chronicle article about AB1388’s passage, stated that the law would put “public safety over the police lobby’s self-interest” and ultimately help protect communities.
Rusch has continued her reporting on these agreements while managing public records requests for Berkeley’s IRP. She highlighted one case where an Oakland officer involved with a notorious group later worked as an FBI agent in Boston and was linked to an interrogation-related death.
Rusch emphasized that quietly erasing misconduct damages trust between police departments and communities.
Howey’s story also focused on issues of trust—specifically deceptive tactics used during interrogations after fatal incidents involving police. His reporting detailed cases such as Diana Showman’s death in 2019; her family was questioned about her mental health before being told she had died hours earlier.
The practice described by Howey originated from training materials distributed widely within California but is reportedly less common elsewhere.
Reflecting on conversations with affected families since AB572 passed into law, Howey noted mixed feelings: “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 these challenges, Howey views legislative impact as journalism’s highest reward: “It beats the hell out of any journalism award.”
Both investigations have received recognition including Polk Awards; Rusch, Smith and IRP were finalists for this year’s Pulitzer Prize for “Right to Remain Secret.”
Howey concluded: “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.”
