Sacramento, CA – On Thursday, September 12, 2019, California Governor, Gavin Newsom, signed Senate Bill (S.B.) 230 into law. 

S.B. 230 was written as a companion bill to Assembly Bill (A.B.) 392, which was previously signed on Monday, August 19^th, 2019.  A.B. 392 simply codified in California state law what the United States Supreme Court has already previously ruled as the standard.

S.B. 230 requires all departments statewide to create use of force policies and training that are consistent with each other so that all law enforcement officers in the State of California are working under the same standards. 

S.C.D.S.A. President, Kevin Mickelson, worked closely with other law enforcement advocacy groups throughout the state of California to not only refine the initial wording of A.B. 392, but also worked in cooperation with Senator Anna Caballero, who introduced S.B. 230. 

“As peace officers, we hold ourselves to a higher standard.  By projecting these standards onto our training procedures and policies, the result will be more consistent law enforcement, and enhanced safety for our members and the public they serve,” said Mickelson.

In addition to providing key points that must be contained in each respective departments’ use of force policies, S.B. 230 also dictates that the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) “implement a course or courses of instruction for the regular and periodic training of law enforcement officers in the use of force.” 

The bill also requires P.O.S.T. to “develop uniform, minimum guidelines for adoption and promulgation by California law enforcement agencies for adoption and force, as specified.”  Funding for the development and dissemination of these trainings and guidelines was also stipulated in the bill.  These amendments are required to go into effect no later than January 1, 2021.

The Sacramento County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association (S.C.D.S.A.) represents more than 1,500 rank and file sergeants, deputies and non-sworn members working in Sacramento County.  For media inquiries, contact Julie Prayter, Communication and Media Director, SCDSA, jprayter@scdsa.org.