State AG Becerra Calls For Sweeping Police Reform In California
SACRAMENTO (CBS SF) -- California Attorney General Xavier Becerra on Monday announced a broad agenda for police reform aimed at improving use-of-force procedures, addressing issues around bias in policing and increasing accountability and transparency at police departments across the state.
According to a press release issued by the Attorney General's office, the proposed reforms build on work by the California Department of Justice under Becerra's leadership, including several pattern-or-practice investigations and collaborative reform initiatives.
Becerra urged law enforcement agencies across the state to take reformative steps like banning the use of chokeholds and carotid restraints, requiring de-escalation before using force, and mandating comprehensive reporting of use-of-force incidents.
Becerra also said the state Department of Justice would support state legislation to place clear limits on crowd control techniques, ban the use of pepper spray against children, decertify law enforcement officers who engage in serious misconduct, and expand the state's capacity to review law enforcement policies and practices.
"Communities across the country have courageously spoken up to demand change," Becerra said. "We cannot afford to ignore the realities faced by black Americans and people of color in this nation."
While the state Department of Justice does not have the authority to mandate such policy and procedure changes for law enforcement agencies across the state, Becerra said some of his proposals have already been adopted via the state Legislature.
Those include Senate Bill 230, which would require law enforcement agencies to adopt concrete use-of-force policies and undergo regular periodic training, and Assembly Billy 392, which limits when officers can use deadly force.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed both bills into state law last year.
A number of the proposals stem from policing best-practices and recommendations made to the Sacramento Police Department by the Attorney General in January of 2019. Additionally, Becerra urged law enforcement agencies statewide to begin incorporating Monday's recommendations on use-of-force, which largely align with the current nationwide #8CantWait campaign calling for immediate action on police reform.
The announced proposals were intended to support and contribute to ongoing national and statewide conversations around efforts to rebuild public trust in law enforcement, strengthen the criminal justice system and encourage policies and practices that keep everyone safer and proactively protect against the unnecessary loss of life.
The press release noted that the Monday announcement was only the first step in what will be a long and sustained process at every level to meet the challenges of police reform.
"Communities across the country have courageously spoken up to demand change. We cannot afford to ignore the realities faced by Black Americans and people of color in this nation," said Attorney General Becerra said in the press release. "It will take sustained work by all of us to answer the call. That's why we're urging local authorities across California and we in state government to actively work with community leaders to achieve lasting, forward-thinking, comprehensive policing reform. Although these proposals and others like them are just an initial step, they represent an important move forward in improving public trust, increasing transparency and accountability, and reducing excessive force. Now is the time for action by leaders at every level."
