BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 128 Page 1 Date of Hearing: March 12, 2013 Chief Counsel: Gregory Pagan ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY Tom Ammiano, Chair AB 128 (Bradford) - As Introduced: January 15, 2013 SUMMARY : Makes airport law enforcement officer regularly employed by the Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) peace officers whose authority extends to any place in California without restrictions on the powers of arrest or authority to carry specified firearms. Specifically, this bill : 1) Makes airport law enforcement officers regularly employed by LAWA peace officers whose authority extends to any place in California as follows: a) As to a public offense committed or which there is probable cause to believe has been committed within the political subdivision that employs the peace officer or in which the peace officer serves. b) Where a peace officer has prior consent of the chief of police or chief, director or chief executive officer of a consolidated municipal public safety agency, or person authorized to give consent, if the place is within a city, or of the sheriff, or person authorized to give consent, if the place is within a county. c) As to a public offense committed or which there is probable cause to believe has been committed in the peace officer's presence, and with respect to which there is immediate danger to person or property, or of the escape of the perpetrator. 2)Defines "LAWA" as the department of the City of Los Angeles that owns and operates the Los Angeles International Airport, the Ontario International Airport, the Palmdale Regional Airport and the Van Nuys Airport. EXISTING LAW : AB 128 Page 2 1) Provides that the following are peace offices, who may carry firearms only if authorized and under terms and conditions specified by their employing agency, whose authority extends to any place in California for the purpose of performing their primary duty, or when making an arrest for a public offense where there is immediate danger to a person or property or to prevent the perpetrator's escape, as specified, or during a state of emergency, as specified: a) Members of the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District Police Department if their primary duty is enforcement of the law in or about property owned, operated or administered by the district or when performing a necessary duty with respect to patrons, employees and properties of the district. b) Harbor or port police if their primary duty is enforcement of law in or about property owned, operated or administered by harbor or port or when performing a necessary duty with respect to patrons, employees and properties of the harbor or port. c) Transit police officers or peace offices of a county, city, transit development board or district if the primary duty is the enforcement of the law in or abut property owned, operated or administered by the employing agency or when performing a necessary duty with respect to patrons, employees and properties of the employing agency. d) Persons employed as airport law enforcement officers by a city, county or district operating the airport or a joint powers agency operating the airport if their primary duty is the enforcement of the law in or about property owned, operated and administered by the employing agency or when performing a necessary duty with respect to patrons, employees and properties of the employing agency. e) Railroad police officers commissioned by the Governor if their primary duty is the enforcement of the law in or about property owned, operated or administered by the employing agency or when performing necessary duties with respect to patrons, employees and properties of the employing agency. (Penal Code Section 830.33.) AB 128 Page 3 1) Declares specific persons to be peace officers: any sheriff, under sheriff, deputy sheriff, chief of police, officer of municipal public safety agency who performs police functions, police officer, officer of the San Diego Unified Port District Harbor Police, marshal or deputy marshal of a superior court or county, port warden or port police office of the Harbor Department of the City of Los Angeles, or inspector or investigator employed in that capacity in the office of the district attorney. Provides that the authority of these peace officers extends to any place in California as follows [Penal Code Section 830.1(a)]: a) As to a public offense committed or which there is probable cause to believe has been committed within the political subdivision that employs the peace officer or in which the peace officer serves. [Penal Code Section 830.1(a)(1).] b) Where the peace officer has prior consent of the chief of police or chief, director or chief executive officer of a consolidated municipal public safety agency, or person authorized by him or her to give consent if the place is within a city or of the sheriff, or person authorized by him or her to give consent if the place is within a county. [Penal Code Section 830.1(a) (2).] c) As to a public offense committed or which there is probable cause to believe has been committed in the peace officer's presence, and with respect to which there is immediate danger to person or property, or of the perpetrator's escape. [Penal Code Section 830.1(a)(3).] 2) Provides that in order to change peace officer designation or status, the Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) must be requested to undertake a study to assess the need for such a change. Requires POST to undertake the study in accordance with its regulations. [Penal Code Section 13540(b).] FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown COMMENTS : AB 128 Page 4 1)Author's Statement : According to the author, "Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) includes the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the Ontario International Airport, and the Van Nuys Airport. LAWA also covers the Manchester/Belford area and its residents. Currently, LAWA Police Officers are to perform their duties under Penal Code 830.33. Since 9/11, stricter security measures have been employed in airports around the nation to ensure the security of travelers, airports and cities alike. However, LAX is in a very unique situation since it handles approximately 65 million people annually. It is the 3rd largest airport in the world in terms of passenger volume and deemed as one of the state's top terrorist target. "Although LAWA peace officers receive the same level of police academy training as LAPD, in addition to aviation security training, they are not given the statutory authority to undertake specific actions in certain scenarios. LAWA peace officers are the first responders to the scene of any dispute, accident, or incident arising in its jurisdiction. Disappointingly, if say a domestic dispute arises in the Manchester area, a LAWA peace officer does not have the legal authority to seize firearms or other deadly weapons at the scene of the argument. Additionally, existing law does not allow LAWA police to perform the following operations considered vital to the continual protection and function of the airports: a) "Possess explosives for training of canines for bomb detection. b) "Seize explosives and incendiary devices. (PC 12301.) c) "Authority for officers to seize firearms or other deadly weapons at the scene of a domestic violence call. (PC 12028.5.) d) "Conduct the background investigations on people working at the airports under the Federal Transportation Security Agency regulations. e) "Ability to keep unsafe vehicles off the public roads in and around airport properties and prevent them from entering the airports. (PC 24004.) AB 128 Page 5 f) "Ability to issue a citation to a person involved in a traffic accident where there is a reasonable cause to believe the person has committed a vehicular misdemeanor or infraction. g) "Authority to inspect and enforce the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages at the airports. (B&PC 25755.) "The Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC) states: " 'Due to two PORAC sponsored bills, the Government Code requires agencies seeking peace officer status or looking to move into the 830.1 Section of the Penal Code to commission, at their own expense, the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) to conduct a feasibility study as to whether or not the authority sought by the agency is warranted. Since the original bill was signed into law in 1989 (SB 352 (Presley)), POST has been commissioned to complete twelve feasibility studies. In ten out of the twelve studies commissioned, POST recommended against the agencies' request for new or different authority. It has been long agreed by the Legislature and by the law enforcement community that the best authority on peace officer jurisdiction, authority, and status is the Commission on POST. They are the foremost authority in this area in the country, and their recommendation in this area has been followed by this Legislature for the past three decades. For PORAC, the Commission's recommendation that these peace officers employed by the Los Angeles World Airports be moved to the 830.1 Section of the Penal Code is one that we respect and fully support. With the increased duties and requirements placed on these peace officers, both federally and by the state, we hope the Legislature will recognize the need for this bill and will support AB 128.' " 2) POST Feasibility Study : POST conducts feasibility studies when a change of designation is requested regarding an existing peace officer position. LAWA Chief of Police Bernard J. Wilson requested a feasibility study regarding a change in designation for LAWA airport law enforcement officers from Penal Code Section 830.33 to Penal Code Section 830.1. POST completed this study on June 1, 2005. AB 128 Page 6 At the conclusion of their study, POST recommended that LAWA police officers be designated as peace officers under Penal Code Section 830.1. The study included extensive interviews with LAWA officers, the Los Angeles Police Department, and other local law enforcement and federal law enforcement agencies. The report acknowledged that the duties and responsibilities of LAWA officers stem from the Airport Commission and cited 10 duties and responsibilities which require the additional authority provided by a Penal Code Section 830.1 designation: a) The need to possess explosives for training canines for bomb detection. b) The duty to seize explosives and incendiary devices, including unclassified explosives. c) The need to possess diversionary devices to immediately control an incident at airports. d) The duty to conduct background investigations on people working at airports in accordance with the Federal Transportation Security Agency regulations. e) The authority for an officer to seize firearms or other deadly weapons at the scene of domestic violence calls in and around airport terminals, in residential areas owned by airports and in businesses under LAWA's control. f) The responsibility to keep unsafe vehicles off public roads in and around airport property and to prevent them from entering airports. g) The function of preventing gridlock on roads leading to and from airports. h) The prevention, enforcement and investigation of all laws regarding making and giving false bomb reports. i) The need to issue a citation to a person involved in a traffic accident where there is reasonable cause to believe the person committed a vehicular misdemeanor or infraction. [POST, A Report to the Legislature and the Los Angeles Airport AB 128 Page 7 Police Department on Peace Officer Feasibility Study (June 1, 2005).] 3)Prior Legislation : a) AB 2137 (Bradford), of the 2011-12 Legislative Session, was identical to this bill in that AB 2137 would have made airport law enforcement officers regularly employed by LAWA peace officers whose authority extends to any place in California. AB 2137 was held on the Assembly Appropriations Committee's Suspense File. b) AB 1377 (Butler), of the 2011-12 Legislative Session, was identical to this bill in that AB 1377 would have made airport law enforcement officers regularly employed by LAWA peace officers whose authority extends to any place in California. AB 1377 was held on the Assembly Appropriations Committee's Suspense File. c) AB 1882 (Frommer), of the 2005-06 Legislative Session, was identical to this bill in that AB 1882 would have made airport law enforcement officers regularly employed by LAWA peace officers whose authority extends to any place in California. AB 1882 was never heard by the Senate Public Safety Committee. REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION : Support Peace Officer Research Association of California San Bernardino Police Officers Association One private citizen Opposition Los Angeles Police Protective League Riverside Sheriffs' Association Analysis Prepared by : Gregory Pagan / PUB. S. / (916) 319-3744 AB 128 Page 8