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Records of a Police Investigation of a Police Officer Who Has Been Terminated Are Not “Personnel Records” Subject to Exemption from Disclosure Pursuant to the “Personnel Records” Provision of the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL)

The Third Department determined that the personnel records associated with the investigation of an off-duty police officer’s involvement in a hit and run accident were generally exempt from disclosure pursuant to the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) (as police “personnel records”). However, the investigation continued after the officer’s employment was terminated. The records of the post-termination investigation were not “personnel records” and, therefore, were not exempt from disclosure under the “personnel records” provision:

As is relevant here, Civil Rights Law § 50-a (1) exempts from disclosure the “personnel records” of police officers that are “used to evaluate performance toward continued employment or promotion.” …

Proof that information was generated for the purpose of assessing an employee’s alleged misconduct brings that information within the protection of Civil Rights Law § 50-a (1) … . This does not end our inquiry, however, because uncontested evidence established that respondent’s investigation of Beardsley continued after he had resigned as an employee of respondent. We agree with petitioners that police departments who investigate persons who are no longer their employees are not conducting investigations of “personnel” within the meaning of Civil Rights Law § 50-a (1). The plain meaning of the word personnel identifies individuals with some current employment relationship with an organization. This meaning of personnel is further confirmed by the statute, as individuals who are not current employees cannot be considered for either “continued employment or promotion” (Civil Rights Law § 50-a [1]). Accordingly, Supreme Court erred in finding that respondent met its burden of establishing that the materials resulting from its investigation after Beardsley had resigned were for the purpose of assessing his continued employment or promotion and that, as a result, Civil Rights Law § 50-a (1) provided confidentiality to such materials. Matter of Hearst Corp. v New York State Police, 2015 NY Slip Op 07729, 3rd Dept 10-22-15

 

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