Maryland bill to make police discipline records public to be heard by House

CHEVY CHASE, Md. - A bill that includes provisions to make significant changes to the Maryland Public Information Act would open police disciplinary records to the public if passed.

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Del. Erek Barron, (D)-Prince George's, who introduced an amendment Friday to a broader police reform bill which includes the transparency measure, says the House will hold a hearing on the legislation Tuesday.

Advocates say it will help hold police accountable, while the Maryland Fraternal Order of Police opposes the measure.

"If an officer has some minor discipline in his background that should not be used against him moving forward," said Clyde Boatwright, an FOP executive.

Other states across the country are taking action in regards to making police disciplinary records available to the public.

This past week, New York released a database of decades worth of such records, while Oregon is considering similar legislation to the Maryland bill.

States like Florida have made such records public for years.