‘On Our Watch’ Podcast Shines a Light on Police Misconduct in California

KQED's Forum

For decades, police misconduct investigations in California were kept secret from the public. That all changed when a 2018 law, SB 1421, made many of those records accessible under the California Public Records Act. “On Our Watch,” a new podcast by KQED and NPR, examines how California law enforcement investigates complaints of misconduct, the harm experienced by the people who filed these complaints — and how that harm was sometimes furthered in the process of seeking accountability. The podcast tells stories of police killings, sexual harassment and excessive force that in many cases left survivors and families demanding justice for years. We’ll hear about those stories and the shadow world of police discipline.