Police departments in California are some of the deadliest in the country. Police in Kern County, for example, have killed more people per capita than in any other county in the U.S. But many of these deaths could have been prevented if police were held to a higher standard that valued the preservation of life. Fortunately, Assemblymembers Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) and Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) introduced legislation to update California’s deadly use of force standard. Under AB 931, police would only be allowed to use deadly force if there were no reasonable alternatives available and if there was an imminent threat to the officer or another person’s safety. For years, communities have demanded accountability for police violence and brutality. AB 931 will save lives and get us one step close to that.

Authors:
Assemblymember Shirley Weber (D-San Diego)
Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento)

Sponsors:
ACLU of California, Anti Police-Terror Project, CURYJ, PICO California, PolicyLink, Youth Justice Coalition

Bill Status [Active]

Updates
Update: Senate Appropriations - Referred to Senate Rules Committee (8/16/18)
Approved: Senate Public Safety Committee (6/19/18)
Approved: Senate Public Safety Committee (6/19/18)
Introduced (4/3/18)

Learn more

Take Action: Email your state reps and ask them to vote YES on AB 931.

California Can Reduce the Number of Police Shootings. Here’s How. (April 16, 2018)