The Legal Aid Society applauded the full repeal of Police Secrecy Law 50-A, which was enacted into law today by Governor Andrew Cuomo, according to AM New York.

“Finally, after years of advocacy, New York has struck down one of the nation’s most secretive laws, a law that shielded police misconduct from public scrutiny. Sadly, we will never know the full breadth and depth of the injustices created under the previous system that deprived New Yorkers access to this fundamental information,” said Tina Luongo, Attorney-in-Charge of the Criminal Defense Practice at The Legal Aid Society.

“But our clients – the majority from communities of color – should know that The Legal Aid Society will leverage this rightful change in statue to wage an unrelenting campaign for police accountability in a way that the New York City Police Department has never seen before. We will ensure that our city knows the names of officers who brutalize New Yorkers and commit other serious acts of misconduct. This is simply the obligation we have to our clients as public defenders: to right the wrongs of decades when the NYPD was permitted to operate with virtual impunity, accountable to no one.”