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Law Enforcement-Backed California Use Of Force Measure Signed By Gov. Gavin Newsom

  •  Ben Adler 
Thursday, September 12, 2019 | Sacramento, CA | Permalink
AP Photo / Rich Pedroncelli

FILE, May 2019 - California state Sen. Anna Caballero, D-Salinas, urges lawmakers to approve her measure requiring that every law enforcement officer be trained in ways to avoid using lethal force, Tuesday, May 28, 2019, in Sacramento, Calif.

AP Photo / Rich Pedroncelli

Updated 6:14 p.m.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a measure linked to California’s new police use of force law. It sets statewide “best practices” and training for law enforcement.

Democratic Sen. Anna Caballero’s bill, SB 230, is one of two measures that arose in response to last year’s Sacramento police shooting of Stephon Clark. It follows the law signed last month that raises the legal standard for when police can use deadly force from “reasonable” to “necessary.”

(See our full coverage of the Stephon Clark shooting and the protests that followed.)

Caballero (D-Salinas) says her bill will “change the culture and give the police an opportunity to receive training that will help them to perform their duties in a way that protects them and protects the public as well.”

The training is funded in the state budget Newsom signed in June.

It will include de-escalation techniques such as distance, time and place restrictions on when deadly force can be used. It will also include training on implicit and explicit bias, and how officers should work with mentally ill people.

In addition, Caballero’s measure requires officers to intervene if another officer is using excessive force and report it to a supervisor, who would then be required to investigate.

Newsom quietly signed the bill Thursday in a private ceremony in his office — in stark contrast to the splashy, public signing ceremony he held last month for the use of force measure backed by civil liberties groups and community activists, AB 392 by Asm. Shirley Weber (D-San Diego).

The two bills began as rivals after negotiations between Weber and law enforcement groups broke down earlier this year. But each measure evolved in the months that followed, and a deal in May set them both on track to becoming law.

In a statement, the governor said Caballero’s bill “establishes the nation’s most robust state-level use-of-force training guidelines for law enforcement officers that focus on de-escalation, crisis intervention, bias free policing, and only using deadly force when absolutely necessary.”

In other news from the state Capitol Thursday, the Legislature’s penultimate day of session this year:

  • California lawmakers have sent Newsom a bill that would temporarily prohibit law enforcement from using facial recognition software with officer-worn body cameras. The measure barely eked through its final vote in the Assembly along party lines amid strong opposition from law enforcement groups.
  • The Assembly narrowly passed a measure to eliminate the automatic addition of prison time to the sentences of some repeat offenders. Supporters said the proposal would help address mass incarcerations and would not apply to offenders who commit serious violent crimes, like rape, robbery or domestic abuse. Opponents argued the added time, known as a sentence enhancement, is a vital tool for deterring repeat offenders. The bill still needs a final vote in the Senate before advancing to Newsom’s desk.
  • Nearly every piece of vaping legislation stalled this year, despite a mysterious lung illness tied to vaping that’s affected hundreds nationwide and killed at least six, including one California resident. Two measures to ban flavored tobacco were shelved earlier this year. And in recent days, an industry-backed proposal to place restrictions on stores that sell vaping products also stalled.

    Related Stories

  • Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

    California Raises Standard For When Police Can Use Deadly Force

    Monday, August 19, 2019
    Nearly a year and a half after Sacramento police shot and killed Stephon Clark, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Monday that changes the legal use of force standard from “reasonable” to “necessary.”
  • Ben Adler / Capital Public Radio

    Police Use Of Force Deal Reached By California Lawmakers Seeks To Rein In Fatal Encounters With Officers

    Thursday, May 23, 2019
    Under an agreement made public Thursday, law enforcement officers will only be able to use lethal force when it is “necessary” and if there are no other options. Their actions leading up to the incident will also be considered.
  • Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

    With No Charges In Stephon Clark Shooting, Activists Switch Focus To Changing California's Use-Of-Force Laws

    Thursday, March 7, 2019
    Of all the Stephon Clark protesters’ demands for change, the one they’re probably most likely to achieve is raising the standard for when California police officers can use deadly force. But they’ll need to be willing to compromise.
  • Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

    There Will Be Two Police Use-Of-Force Bills In California This Year After Negotiations Experience Setback

    Wednesday, February 6, 2019
    Law enforcement and civil liberties groups have introduced rival bills, but are open to continue discussions.
  • Family courtesy photo via AP

    The Latest: Shooting Of Stephon Clark

    On Sunday, March 18, 2018, Stephon Clark was shot and killed by two Sacramento police officers in the backyard of his grandparents' house in South Sacramento. Check back here for the latest updates, conversations and analysis.

Ben Adler

Capitol Bureau Chief

Capitol Bureau Chief Ben Adler first became a public radio listener in the car on his way to preschool – though not necessarily by choice. Now, he leads Capital Public Radio’s state Capitol coverage, which airs on NPR stations across California.  Read Full Bio 

 @adlerben Email Ben Adler

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