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Explainers

[…] that "on its face purport[s] to be an investigatory record," Williams v. Superior Court, 5 Cal. 4th 337, 356 (1993). Thus, it could be argued that the investigative records exemption does not include booking photographs, as courts elsewhere have suggested. Pemberton v. Bethlehem Steel Corp., 502 A.2d 1101, 1119 (Md. Ct. Spec. App. 1986) […]

July 3, 2024
Handbooks

Reporter’s Field Guide: Police Shootings

[…] note the CPRA has been renumbered since AB 748 passed. The content of the statute remains the same, but it is now Government Code Section 7923.625, not 6254(f)(4).) Up to a year from the date of a shooting, an agency can only delay release of critical incident recordings if it demonstrates release "would substantially […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
September 8, 2025
Asked and Answered

CPRA Police Records

Accessing police Internal Affairs reports

[…] 6254.7, part of California's Public Records Act, relates to air pollution, housing code violations, and trade secrets, and is probably not the provision you have in mind.Section 6254(f), also part of the PRA, exempts from disclosure most records of investigations conducted by police agencies (see below for text of Section 6254(f)) That section does provide […]

September 20, 2010
Asked and Answered

First Amendment Newsgathering Police Records

How much detail about the incident, offense, or arrest is the public entitled to under the law?

[…] was hoping to confirm the firearms' recovery through the police reports.) In response, the department said most of the information I was seeking was exempt pursuant to 6254(f). The department did provide two "Call summary" documents listing the incident number, time and location of the incident; as well as an arrest log showing the defendants' […]

May 25, 2018
Asked and Answered

CPRA

Political Reform Act case records

Under the California Public Records Act, certain law enforcement information can be properly withheld. Specifically, under California Government Code section 6254(f), records of complaints and investigations of law enforcement agencies may be withheld from the public. However, certain information is subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act unless disclosure would endanger the safety […]

June 14, 2009
Pages

Explainer

[…] any investigatory or security files compiled by any other state or local police agency for correctional, law enforcement, or licensing purposes." Govt. Code § 7923.600(a), formerly § 6254(f). A law enforcement agency’s own investigatory records, such as its reports, notes & findings about alleged crimes, are generally exempt under § 7923.600. Haynie v. Superior Court, […]

September 5, 2025
Asked and Answered

CPRA Newsgathering

Accessing 911 Calls and Police Reports

[…] sample written request can be found at the following link: https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/cpra-primer/sample-cpra-request-letter/ The PRA exemption at issue for the records you seek is found at Government Code section 6254(f), which exempts from disclosure records of law enforcement complaints and investigations. Although this section exempts the records themselves from disclosure, a police agency is nevertheless required to […]

June 14, 2009
Asked and Answered

CPRA

Records request denied due to ongoing investigation

[…] some law enforcement authority, it is possible that the records you seek are exempt from disclosure under the Public Records Act's law enforcement exemption, Gov't Code section 6254(f). This exemption includes: "Records of complaints to, or investigations conducted by, or records of intelligence information or security procedures of, the office of the Attorney General and […]

June 5, 2010
Asked and Answered

CPRA Police Records

I Am The Victim of A Crime. Does the CPRA Allow Me Access Police Reports on the Incident?

[…] sorry to hear that you were the victim of a crime. Unfortunately, police investigatory records are exempt from disclosure under the Public Records Act under Government Code § 6254(f), which exempts "[r]records of complaints to, or investigations conducted by, or records of intelligence information or security procedures…or security files compiled by any other state or local police […]

January 9, 2020
Asked and Answered

CPRA Police Records

Police deny journalist’s request for suicide report

Unfortunately, California’s Public Records Act provides a broad exemption for records related to police investigations. Govt Code 6254(f) (see below). I am guessing that the "small, essentially worthless summary" corresponds to categories of information set forth below that must be disclosed. The exemption does not turn on whether an investigation is current or closed. Because […]

April 2, 2010