California Assembly Bill AB1289 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1289AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 26, 2015 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Cooper FEBRUARY 27, 2015 An act  to amend Section 49350 of the Education Code,  relating to  pupil safety.   community safety and policing: study.  LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1289, as amended, Cooper.  Pupil safety: Community Policing and Mentoring for School Safety Pilot Program.   Community safety and policing: study.  Existing law establishes the  Community Policing and Mentoring for School Safety Pilot Program under the administration of the State Department of Education in order to ensure that pupils enrolled in California public schools attend campuses that are safe, secure, and orderly, and are places in which pupils and staff are free to learn and teach without the threat of physical or psychological harm. Existing law makes a statement of legislative findings and declarations relating to the pilot program.   Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) in state government and requires the LAO to perform various duties with regard to the analysis, impacts, and expected costs of proposed legislation.  This bill would  make nonsubstantive changes to that statement   require the Legislative Analyst's Office to conduct a study of community policing and engagement programs, efforts, strategies, and policies in the state, and to report its findings with regard to the study to the Legislature by December 31, 2017  . Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION   1.   (a)     The Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) shall conduct a study to determine the effectiveness of community policing and engagement programs, efforts, strategies, and policies in the state, including, but not limited to, police activities leagues, neighborhood watch, and integrated policing   . The LAO shall report its findings with regard to the study to the Legislature by December 31, 2017.   (b) The report required to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.   SECTION 1.   Section 49350 of the Education Code is amended to read: 49350. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (1) Studies have shown that indicators of risk for violence are associated with a child's experiences at school. Antisocial behavior or aggressiveness, which is sometimes combined with isolation, withdrawal, hyperactivity, or attention deficit disorder, places children at an increased risk of violence. (2) These children are at risk of persistent antisocial behavior, such as skipping school, getting into fights, and misbehaving in class. Young people of both genders who engage in these activities are at increased risk of experiencing drug abuse, juvenile delinquency, violence, dropping out of school, and teen pregnancy. (3) It is well-known that some youth, even though exposed to multiple risk factors, do not succumb to violent, antisocial behavior. One of the defining factors for this outcome is bonding--positive relationships with family members, teachers, police officers, sheriffs' deputies, and other adults. (4) The Community Policing and Mentoring for School Safety Pilot Program brings this successful law enforcement strategy to California' s schools. By providing funding assistance, strict participation guidelines, and assessments, the Community Policing and Mentoring for School Safety Pilot Program will bring highly trained law enforcement officers onto school campuses to work with pupils during and after school. Community policing in schools will provide the necessary opportunities for pupils' active involvement in positive activities, as well as trained personnel to teach them skills so that they may pursue later opportunities successfully. Community policing in schools provides a consistent system of recognition and reinforcement of positive behavior. (5) Many school safety approaches, including metal detectors, drug-sniffing dogs, armed private security personnel, and similar security measures, are more one-dimensional in their approach to school safety. The Community Policing and Mentoring for School Safety Pilot Program takes a multidimensional approach by involving the community, schools, parents or guardians, and law enforcement personnel in the design of the program that will serve their schools. The relationships developed, as a result of this process and the programs themselves, will be a strong preventative alternative to antisocial behavior in California's schools. (b) As used in this article, "community policing" means an approach to crime prevention that is founded on developing positive relationships between law enforcement and the community. In community policing, law enforcement becomes an integral facet of the community because officers work directly with the community and develop positive relationships with members of the community. Community members become more involved in their community's activities because they know they have the personal support of law enforcement. Community policing identifies factors that put young people at risk for violence in order to reduce or eliminate these factors and strengthen protective factors such as positive relationships with adults.