EFF Sues Police Standards Agency to Obtain Use of Force Training Materials

Woodland, California—The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) sued the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) to obtain materials showing how police are trained in the use of force, after the organization cited third-party copyright interests to illegally withhold them from the public.

The lawsuit, filed under California’s Public Records Act (PRA), seeks a court order forcing POST to make public unredacted copies of outlines for a number of police training courses, including training on use of force. As the country struggles to process the many painful-to-watch examples of extensive and deadly use of force by police, Californians have a right to know what officers are being trained to do, and how they are being trained. The complaint was filed yesterday in the Superior Court of California, Yolo County.

California lawmakers recognized the need for more transparency in law enforcement by passing SB 978, which took effect last year. The law requires POST and local law enforcement agencies to publish, in a conspicuous space on their websites, training manuals and other materials about policies and practices.

“POST is unlawfully hiding this material,” said EFF Staff Attorney Cara Gagliano. “SB 978 is clear—police must allow the public to see its training manuals. Doing so helps educate the community about what to expect and how to behave during police encounters, and helps to hold police accountable when they don’t comply with their training.”

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