The Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training ("POST")
recently posted its legal analysis of A.B. 392 and its impacts on peace
officer use of force standards. The website inlcudes a link to a video available to the general public about use of force standards.
In the video, the Executive Director of POST Manuel Alvarez Jr.,
Riverside District Attorney Micahel Hestrin, and Santa Barbara District
Attorney Joyce Dudley provide their insights and interpretations of A.B.
392, as well as a discuss of how they will apply the new law.
Any analysis of California's use of force standards should also include S.B. 230 which was Sponsored by PORAC and
other law enforcment stakeholders. In addition to mandating minmum use
of force standards and training, SB 230 also codifies important legal
definitions that directly affect the application of A.B. 392, which
utilizes the same terms (S.B. 230 was expressed coupled to the passage
of A.B. 392.). For example, “Feasible” is defined as "reasonably
capable of being done or carried out under
the circumstances to successfully achieve the arrest or lawful objective
without increasing risk to the officer or another person."
(emphasis added.) This definition clarifies that tactics increasing the
risk to officers are not "feasible." The law also clarifies that
policies and training shall not be considered as imposing a legal duty
on officers to act in accordance with such policies and training.
Tellingly, the ACLU vigorously opposed S.B. 230.
WATCH the ACLU's objections to S.B. 230 here.
The Mastagni Holstedt, APC analysis of the use of force legislation is available here:Modernizing Use of Force on Our Terms.