BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 1448
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 9, 2007

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mark Leno, Chair

                AB 1448 (Niello) - As Introduced:  February 23, 2007 

          Policy Committee:                              Public  
          SafetyVote:  7-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          Yes    Reimbursable:              No
           
           SUMMARY

           This bill requires law enforcement uniform vendors to verify  
          that a person buying a uniform is an employee of the law  
          enforcement agency identified on the uniform. Failure to so  
          verify is chargeable as a misdemeanor, punishable by up to six  
          months in county jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000. Sales of  
          uniforms to be used solely as a prop for a motion picture,  
          television, video production, or a theatrical event, with  
          permission from the identified law enforcement agency are  
          exempted. 
           
          FISCAL EFFECT

           Minor nonreimbursable costs for increased county jail  
          incarceration, offset to a degree by increased fine revenue. 
           
          COMMENTS

          1)Rationale  . According to the author, the impetus for the bill  
            was a situation in Sacramento County in which a security guard  
            stated to a Sacramento police officer that he was a Sacramento  
            deputy sheriff working as a security guard as a second job. An  
            investigation was conducted and a complete uniform was  
            discovered in the person's home. Prior to this investigation,  
            for several months, there were instances where women were  
            stopped on the roads in Sacramento County by a person in a  
            sheriff's deputy uniform. In some cases, the women were  
            assaulted. 

            The author states, "This bill is one step toward preventing  
            these kinds of situations from occurring in the future and  








                                                                  AB 1448
                                                                  Page  2

            will help to ensure that the public has trust in the validity  
            of the law enforcement uniform." 

           2)Current law  specifies that impersonation of a peace officer is  
            a misdemeanor.


            

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Geoff Long / APPR. / (916) 319-2081