BILL NUMBER: AB 2489	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Romero

                        FEBRUARY 24, 2000

   An act to add Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 13720) to Title 5
of Part 4 of the Penal Code, relating to crime prevention, and
making an appropriation therefor.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2489, as introduced, Romero.  Crime prevention: Family Violence
Emergency Response Team.
   Existing law contains various family violence prevention programs.

   This bill would authorize the Los Angeles County Sheriff's
Department to expand and augment existing Family Violence Emergency
Response Teams to operate on a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week basis, as
specified.
   The bill would appropriate $4,000,000 from the General Fund to the
Controller for allocation to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's
Department to establish the pilot program described in these
provisions.
   Vote:  2/3.  Appropriation:  yes.  Fiscal committee:  yes.
State-mandated local program:  no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 13720) is added to
Title 5 of Part 4 of the Penal Code, to read:

      CHAPTER 3.  FAMILY VIOLENCE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM ACT OF 2000

   13720.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
   (a) In 1997, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department developed
an emergency response team pilot program called Safety Through Our
Perseverance (STOP) in an effort to curb the escalating problem of
family violence.
   (b) The STOP intervention team was designed to strengthen the
quality of community police service to families in crisis by
providing them with immediate intervention, resource referral
services, victim assistance, threat assessment, and safety planning.
   (c) The STOP intervention team is the most comprehensive
victim-oriented community policing project in this state and is
currently operating in three of 19 sheriff's stations in Los Angeles
County.
   (d) The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is interested in
providing training to other agencies to create their own STOP teams.
   13721.  The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department may expand and
augment existing Family Violence Emergency Response Teams to operate
on a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week basis.  In order to qualify for funding
under this chapter, the department shall agree that participants in
the program be trained for a minimum of 40 hours in a domestic
violence course approved by the Commission on Peace Officers
Standards and Training as set forth in subdivision (c) of Section
13519, and domestic violence advocates shall meet the minimum
requirements set in Section 13823.15.
  SEC. 2.  The sum of four million dollars ($4,000,000) is hereby
appropriated from the General Fund to the Controller for allocation
to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to establish the pilot
program described in Section 13721 of the Penal Code.