California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1289

Introduced by Assembly Member Cooper

February 27, 2015

An act to amend Section 49350 of the Education Code, relating to pupil safety.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1289, as introduced, Cooper. Pupil safety: Community Policing and Mentoring for School Safety Pilot Program.

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.

This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to that statement.

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.  

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 begin insert an end insert 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 begin delete guidelines end delete begin insert guidelines, end insert 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 begin delete students end delete begin insert pupils end insert during and after
school. Community policing in schools will provide the necessary
opportunities for begin delete students’ end delete begin insert pupils’ end insert 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.