Policies & Procedures/Training SB 978

SB 978, Bradford. Law enforcement agencies: public records.

Existing law establishes within the Department of Justice the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training and requires the commission to adopt rules establishing minimum standards regarding the recruitment and training of peace officers.

Existing law, the California Public Records Act, generally requires each state and local agency to make its public records available for inspection by a member of the public, unless the public record is specifically exempted from disclosure. The act further requires every state and local agency to duplicate disclosable public records, either on paper or in an electronic format, if so requested by a member of the public and he or she has paid certain costs of the duplication.

This bill would, commencing January 1, 2020, require the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training and each local law enforcement agency to conspicuously post on their Internet Web sites all current standards, policies, practices, operating procedures, and education and training materials that would otherwise be available to the public if a request was made pursuant to the California Public Records Act. By imposing this requirement on local law enforcement agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.