Police Records Access Project Wins 2026 Sunshine Award
The Police Records Access Project has been awarded a 2026 Sunshine Award by the Society of Professional Journalists. The award recognizes individuals and organizations that the principles of open government.
The Police Records Access Project, a searchable public database of law enforcement records documenting police use of force and misconduct, was recognized by the SPJ as an innovative and replicable resource making over a million pages of records accessible to journalists and the public alike.
SPJ National President Chris R. Vaccaro said, “These honorees have strengthened open government through persistence, innovation and public service, and we appreciate the example they set for others.” SPJ FOI Committee Chair Michael Morisy said, “The two winners stood out not only for their incredible accomplishments, but also in how they did this work collaboratively, building a stronger transparency field for everyone. Public records fights are often very long, lonely affairs, but today we recognize that these aren’t fights that need to be taken on alone.”