Gov. Gavin Newsom signed eight measures into law Thursday aimed at bringing sweeping reforms to police departments in the state, including the creation of a system to decertify police officers who have committed serious misconduct and increasing access to misconduct records.
Serious misconduct can include using excessive force, sexual assault or demonstration of bias and dishonesty.
“Too many lives have been lost due to racial profiling and excessive use of force. We cannot change what is past, but we can build accountability, root out racial injustice and fight systemic racism,” said Newsom.
On top of allowing police officers to permanently lose their jobs over instances of misconduct, police officers must be at least 21 years old starting next year.
Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer announced the change in minimum age at the Thursday press conference. He authored AB 89, which also increases educational requirements for police officers.
“Decades of data [show] more mature and better-educated officers are less reliant on force,” said Jones-Sawyer. Newsom also signed a bill that restricts certain restraints that can interfere with breathing.
Family members of those who have died at the hands of the police joined the governor, state legislators and the California Attorney General Rob Bonta at the press conference. The press conference was held at Rowley Park in Gardena, a location that held extra resonance due to a police officer shooting and killing Kenneth Ross Jr. there three years ago.
State Sen. Steven Bradford, who represents Gardena, authored the measure that allows for police officers to lose their badges permanently if they are found guilty of serious misconduct. Bradford spoke about Ross’ death at Rowley Park, saying his tragic death could have been avoided had there been a similar measure three years ago.
The bills hope to address years of complaints of police brutality and lack of accountability, which have only been highlighted nationwide uprisings following the death of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020.
California’s attorney general said the package of bills signed into law can help to rebuild trust between communities and law enforcement.
“Trust generates safety and safety generates trust. It will take sustained work by all of us to get the job done, but this is a monumental step forward on the path toward justice,” Bonta said.
A full list of the bills Newsom signed is below.
-- AB 26 Peace officers: use of force.
-- AB 48 Law enforcement: use of force.
-- AB 89 Peace officers: minimum qualifications.
-- AB 481 Law enforcement and state agencies: military equipment: funding, acquisition, and use.
-- AB 490 Law enforcement agency policies: arrests: positional asphyxia.
-- AB 958 Peace officers: law enforcement gangs.
-- SB 2 Peace officers: certification: civil rights.
-- SB 16 Peace officers: release of records.
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