The state-funded Police Records Access Project, a UC Berkeley-led effort promoted as a one-stop public archive of internal police misconduct files, is drawing heat after a review found its online portal has few entries from the most recent years. Critics warn that if cases from the last two years are largely missing, the database could fall short as a tool for oversight, prosecutions and hiring checks.
The portal went live in August 2025 with a splashy debut, publishing about 1.5 million pages from nearly 12,000 misconduct and use-of-force cases, as reported by The Los Angeles Times. The project started with $6.87 million in state funding and is led by UC Berkeley journalism and data-science programs working alongside Stanford and dozens of news partners, according to UC Berkeley.
A review published today by the Mountain Democrat found that in some searches, public misconduct records appear to stop in 2024, with few, if any, entries dated 2025 or 2026. The outlet reported that the database had posted only a handful of cases from the 2024–25 period, a gap that local advocates say undercuts the accountability promise that came with the launch.
How the database is assembled
The project team uses a mix of automated tools and human reviewers to convert released documents into searchable case files. UC Berkeley notes that up to three people review each file to pull out dates and verify details before anything is published.
Project documentation also emphasizes that the site will be updated as agencies disclose new records, and that law enforcement agencies are not required to release files while investigations are still active. That limitation can delay when certain incidents show up in the database, according to the Police Records Access Project.
Officials and critics weigh in
Lisa Pickoff-White, a journalist working on the database, told the Mountain Democrat that the team requests records from more than 700 agencies each year and that the program does not have a set update schedule.
Former officials and some lawmakers quoted in the same piece said they were disappointed by that approach and questioned why UC Berkeley is acting as the middleman for misconduct files. Project staff told the outlet they are working to update the public portal, although they did not lay out a specific timetable.
Why the timing matters
Supporters originally framed the project as a practical tool for public defenders, prosecutors, researchers and police chiefs to spot patterns, vet potential hires and flag problem officers, a role described by CalMatters. Advocates now say that missing or outdated entries make it harder to track recent conduct, which is exactly the period many users care about most.
What’s next
State budget records show the $6.87 million allocation came with a three-year expenditure or encumbrance window, keeping the project within its funding period through 2026, according to the UC Office of the President. Community groups and some lawmakers say the logical next move is a clear public update schedule so users are not left guessing when newer cases will appear.
For now, researchers, attorneys and community members who rely on the archive are being urged to treat it as a powerful but incomplete tool and to double-check underlying records when possible. The Police Records Access Project still represents a significant step toward transparency.
