Gov. Newsom Signs Bill to Decertify Peace Officers for Serious Misconduct

LCW Managing Partner Scott Tiedemann commented on Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent signing of SB 2 into law, which will decertify peace officers who have committed serious misconduct. In the Oct. 4 Daily Californian article “Gov. Newsom signs bill to decertify peace officers for serious misconduct,” Tiedemann stated that while POST was previously used only to deliver certificates to peace officers who work in California, POST will now be able to revoke certificates under the new bill. Tiedemann also said SB 2 has its shortcomings. For instance, the definition of “unreasonable” use of force is still unclear and the bill does not address police force retention issues or how increased police scrutiny may attract lower quality applicants who may be prone to more police misconduct. “When you look at this law in general, there are ideas that are really good. When the details are examined and they’re applied to different situations, there are going to be problems,” said Tiedemann. Read the full article here.