Peace officer reports: stops.
Should this bill be enacted, agencies with varying sizes of peace officer employment will have defined timelines for reporting their stop data, starting from July 2018 for major agencies. This structured approach is designed to enhance transparency and accountability in the actions of law enforcement, providing critical data that could potentially highlight patterns in stops that might be indicative of broader issues such as racial profiling or improper policing practices. By allowing public access to this data, the bill aims to foster trust and improve relationships between law enforcement and community members.
Assembly Bill No. 1147, introduced by Assembly Member Obernolte, aims to amend Section 12525.5 of the Government Code which relates to the reporting requirements for peace officer stops. The current legislation mandates that each state and local agency employing peace officers must annually report detailed data regarding all interaction involving stops conducted by peace officers. This includes aspects such as the time, date, location, and rationale behind each stop. The proposed amendment seeks to clarify definitions around such stops, specifically excluding certain circumstances such as emergency responses or calls for service from the reporting requirements.
Discussion around AB 1147 has surfaced points of contention, particularly regarding the implications of exempting certain types of interactions (i.e., calls for service or medical emergencies) from stop reporting. Critics argue that excluding emergency responses may create gaps in data collection that could obscure trends in law enforcement practices. Opponents may cite concerns that this exemption undermines the intended goals of the bill, which are transparency and accountability. Overall, the legislation has evoked a mix of support for increased data collection on stops and skepticism regarding the accuracy of information collected under the outlined guidelines.