Latest News, Tips, and Information
Assembly Bill 2188; What You Need to Know About Employees Using Cannabis
Assembly Bill 2188 (AB 2188) updates the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) to prohibit employers from discriminating, terminating, or otherwise penalizing an employee or applicant because of their use of cannabis. AB 2188 protects an employee’s use of...
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Police Websites Must Comply with California AB 485
As the new year approaches, several new laws are being codified. One such new law that will affect law enforcement is California Assembly Bill 485, which relates to Hate Crime Reporting. AB 485 will require local law enforcement agencies to post Hate Crime reporting information on their respective internet site every month. Currently, Law Enforcement agencies are only required to report Hate...
PORAC Updates
Unfortunately, it may come to pass that at some point in your career, that there is no easy, clear choice on a decision to be made. An instance that merits discussion is when an officer is facing potential criminal charges for on-duty conduct. The difficult decision comes when an officer under criminal investigation or has real criminal exposure is faced with the decision of making a voluntary...
10 Tips in Case You Are Involved in an Officer-Involved Shooting
In the case of an officer-involved shooting (OIS), it is better to be prepared and to know what to expect. Read these ten tips so you are ready for the worst-case scenario. 1. Know What Your Department OIS Policy is Are you allowed to watch your body cam footage? Does your department conduct its own investigation? Is there a set amount of time prior to you giving a statement? Thoroughly read...
A Breakdown of 2022 Laws that Affect Law Enforcement
As we are halfway through 2022, we have welcomed several new laws that affect law enforcement. Over the last few years, several laws have focused on police accountability and criminal justice reform. 2022 has seen the most drastic change to law enforcement in the state of California with the implementation of SB2, which adds a licensing component to law enforcement. There are also other...
Preserving the Right to a Rep For Interrogations and Interviews
How many of you have ever fought with your spouse… not because of what you said, but how you said it? After a few of those fights, you start to figure out that how you say things matters, even if the words basically mean the same thing. The same is true in the law. That is why you must be sure to use the correct verbiage when you want to invoke your interrogation rights under the so-called...
LDF Coverage and Voluntary Statements – What Cops Need To Know
Unfortunately, it may come to pass at some point in your career; there is no easy, clear choice on a decision to make. An instance that merits discussion is when an officer faces potential criminal charges for on-duty conduct. The difficult decision comes when an officer under criminal investigation, or has real criminal exposure is faced with the decision of making a voluntary statement or...
The Four Myths About Qualified Immunity; What Cops Need to Know
What is Qualified Immunity? Qualified immunity is a judicial doctrine that protects state actors from liability in certain instances. Qualified immunity was created by several U.S. Supreme Court cases, most significantly Harlow v. Fitzgerald, Saucier v. Katz, and Pearson v. Callahan. Qualified immunity protects government officials from being held personally liable under federal law for conduct...
What is a “Public Safety Statement?”
A “Public Safety Statement” is a statement an officer is required to give immediately after being involved in an officer-involved shooting, or other critical incident. It is important that officers understand what a “Public Safety Statement” is, and what it is not, so they can provide the best “Public Safety Statement” and preserve their rights going forward. “Public Safety Statements” are given...
New Laws Affecting California Peace Officers
As we ring in 2022 on January 1st, we also welcome several new laws that affect law enforcement. Over the last few years, several laws have focused on police accountability and criminal justice reform. 2022 will see the most drastic change to law enforcement in the state of California with the implementation of Senate Bill 2 which adds a licensing component to law enforcement. ...