By Shaun Rundle, Deputy Director.
Assemblywoman Shirley Weber has introduced AB 392, her 2019 version of a use of force legislation which looks and smells like AB 931 last year. In response, various law enforcement groups joined to introduce SB 230 (Caballero) which focuses on training and de-escalation policy. SB 230 has over a dozen co-authors of legislators who view this approach as a reasonable alternative to the legal challenge that CPOA and other partners feels that Weber’s AB 392 poses.
The following statistics paint a drastically different, and factual story of lethal force encounters and arrests than what is currently being paraded by the Legislature and the media. These statistics demonstrate that with a rising violent crime rate, and an increase in assaults on peace officers with a firearm, that AB 931 is truly dangerous and will put both the public and law enforcement personnel at extreme risk.
CPOA suggests that agencies use these statistics in conversations with your local legislators and public. They are from CA DOJ’s 2017 Crime Report.
- Violent crime for every 100,000 Californians rose 1.5% from 2016-2017.
- The total number of reported criminal complaints against peace officers fell to its lowest since 1987.
- The total number of peace officers assaulted in the line of duty increased from 2016-2017 by 837.
- From 2016 to 2017, the total number of LE officers assaulted with a firearm increased 25.1%, while the number assaulted with a knife or other cutting instrument decreased 9.9%.
Assemblywoman Weber’s AB 392 and Senator Caballero’s SB 230 take differing approaches the helping paint the true picture. Here are CPOA Fact Sheets on each bill, which will likely be heard in committees in the Legislature in March.