BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  SB 702
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   August  6, 2014

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                   SB 702 (Anderson) - As Amended:  June 30, 2014 

          Policy Committee:                             Public  
          SafetyVote:7-0

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

           SUMMARY  

          This bill increases the maximum misdemeanor fine for a person  
          using a badge or emblem to impersonate a peace officer, from  
          $1,000 to $2,000, and requires the local law enforcement agency  
          that files charges to seize the item used to carry out the  
          impersonation.  

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Negligible nonreimbursable local administrative costs more than  
          offset by increased local and state fine revenue. (With penalty  
          assessments, a $2,000 fine is really an $8,000 fine.) 

           COMMENTS  

           Rationale  . According to the author, "A law enforcement officer's  
          badge is not only a sign of years of specialized training, it is  
          also a sign of the public's trust. Those that wear the badge are  
          not self-serving, but rather public servants entrusted with our  
          public safety. For those that have not earned this badge to use  
          it in a self-serving manner while systematically undermining the  
          public's trust is wrong. SB 702 is a bill to curb law  
          enforcement badge abuse by increasing the penalty for badge  
          abuse and fraud to match that of other public corruption crimes.  
           This bill seeks to ensure that public trust in our law  
          enforcement officials is not eroded."

              

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









                                                                  SB 702
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