Enhanced Protection for Police Officers, Expanded Community Policing Efforts and Fighting Crime with New Technologies among Top Priorities

Palo Alto- Today, Democratic Attorney General candidate Chris Kelly released a policy platform focusing on the need to improve protective measures and high-tech resources for California’s police officers and other law enforcement officers.  The plan, Supporting Law Enforcement, outlines his strategy to enhance police protection technologies such as bullet proof vests and body armor, increase penalties for crimes against police officers, encourage fair labor policies, improve community policing efforts and help law enforcement fight crime with new and innovative technologies.

“As California’s next Attorney General, I want to ensure that the men and women who put their lives on the line everyday have the resources and support that they need to keep our communities safe,” said Kelly.  “I will work with law enforcement to find the most innovative ways to protect lives and prevent crime,” said Kelly.

As Attorney General, Kelly’s plan will focus on:

Improving Officer Protection:

Providing the Most Technologically Advanced Bulletproof Vests to Our Officers. Since 1999, over 13,000 jurisdictions have participated in the Department of Justice’s Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program. Through this decade-long program, over $277 million in federal funds have been committed to support the purchase of an estimated 800,000 vests for officers around the country. The proposed 2010 federal budget grants another $30 million for this program. As Attorney General, I will work to ensure that California’s peace officers receive the most up-to-date body-armor and bulletproof vests available. Specifically, my office will work closely with the Justice Technology Information Network and the Department of Justice’s Body Armor Safety Initiative to track the latest technological advances related to officer body armor.  It’s also essential to talk to officers in the field about what technologies they believe help keep them safe from criminals.  I will actively be looking for their feedback.  I will also review the pending National Institute of Justice (NIJ) study on Zylon®-based bullet-resistant vests and will immediately implement any new NIJ process by which bullet-resistant vests should be certified.

Ensuring Convicted Felons Don’t Gain Access to Body Armor. I applaud the recent legislation to prevent convicted violent felons from possessing body armor. Under current law, Penal Section 12370 provides that no person convicted of a violent felony may own, possess or purchase body armor. Recently, however, a California appellate court cited a section in the law which “requires expert testimony to determine that the body armor meets stringent testing standards,” to overturn the conviction of a violent parolee (charged with manslaughter) in possession of body armor. His conviction was reversed on appeal because the court determined that “only an expert would know if any particular protective body vest was proscribed by section 12370.” The new bill fixes this loophole in the anti-body armor law. Common sense and experience tells us that any violent felon in possession of body armor will undoubtedly use this armor during a violent attack – whether on police or on innocent civilians. In San Francisco, in 1994, San Francisco Police Officer James Guelff, a highly decorated eleven-year veteran, was gunned down and killed by an assault-weapon wielding, convicted felon wearing two layers of body armor. If this felon did not have access to body armor, Police Officer James Guelff could still be alive today. As Attorney General, I will do everything in my power to ensure this common-sense law is passed.

Creating a Comprehensive Officer Injuries Database to Help Reduce Number Of Injuries. Currently, in California, there is no comprehensive reporting of on-duty injuries – something I will change as Attorney General. Whether occurring while officers are engaged in crime resistance or resulting from noncriminal acts, officers’ injuries are life altering for officers, their families, friends, and associates. My Officer Protection database will track the location, cause of injury and the recovery time of officers injured while on-duty.  Our office can use this database to analyze any trends in officer injury and to better understand the causes of officer injury.  It will also help us assess what measures can be taken to reduce officer injuries—helping to keep our officers safe.

Supporting and Expanding “Move Over” Laws.  I strongly support the state’s “Move Over” law, requiring vehicles to provide law enforcement and road-side vehicles enough room to prevent injury. Because of these important laws, the number of law enforcement officers killed in vehicle related incidents has decreased. As Attorney General, I will lobby the legislature to increase penalties from $50 to $250 for any vehicle not complying with our “Move Over” law.  This increased penalty will serve as an additional deterrent for this common-sense solution to vehicle-related officer injuries.

Supporting the Peace Officers Bill of Rights. California was the first state in the nation to pass the Peace Officers Bill of Rights Act.  The Peace Officers Bill of Rights Act protects officers during internal affairs investigations. It ensures that any internal investigations are done quickly and protect the rights of the officer from self-incrimination.  As Attorney General, I will continue to support the Peace Officers Bill of Rights for those that put their lives on the line for the safety of all Californians. 

Supporting Tough Penalties for Crimes Against Police Officers:

Pursuing the Death Penalty for the Killing of Officers.  On average, one law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty every 53 hours somewhere in the United States. During 2009, California had 8 officer fatalities, among the highest in the country. Unlike some of my opponents in this race, I believe the death penalty is an appropriate punishment in the right circumstances, including the killing of a law enforcement officer. The men and women in our law enforcement agencies risk their lives every day to protect our communities. They, in return, deserve the highest level of protection from our system of justice. For too long, we have not boldly stated that the death penalty is an important deterrent against violently attacking our men and women in uniform. As Attorney General, I will consistently highlight my unwavering support for protecting our officers.

Increasing Penalties For Crimes Against Law Enforcement. Each year, more than 60,000 law enforcement officers are assaulted, resulting in approximately 16,000 injuries. While our Penal Code demands a heightened penalty for assaults against a peace officer, as Attorney General, I will advocate that the Legislature increase this penalty from a minimum of three years to a minimum of five years. 

Urging the Legislature to Support “Blue Alert” System. I support the idea of a “Blue Alert” system – a crime awareness system that would piggyback off the “Amber Alert”, activating the Emergency Broadcast System after an attack on police officers. The “Blue Alert” will immediately forward a detailed description of the offender, the offender's vehicle and license plate information to state law enforcement agencies and to the public through a variety of media resources and the Department of Transportation's dynamic message signs. Legislation has recently been introduced in the California Senate. As Attorney General, I will push our legislature to pass this new alert system.

Standing By Our Three Strikes Law. In 1994, California voters passed our Three Strikes Law by an overwhelming majority, 72% to 28%. This law was intended to remove violent, career criminals who have proven they are not interested in rehabilitation. The law also provides prosecutors and judges with the discretion to pursue convictions for individuals that clearly represent an inability to be rehabilitated. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, roughly 5% of the prison populations are “third strikers.” While our prisons are overcrowded and need reform, that reform should not undermine the simple truth that career victimizers belong behind bars. I stand by our Three Strikes law and, as Attorney General, will continue to use this tool as an effective method to keep violent, repeat offenders off our streets.

Promoting Fair Labor Policies:

Supporting Law Enforcement’s Fight Against Mandatory Furloughs. The recent decision by Governor Schwarzenegger to require all public employees to take “furlough Fridays” has had an adverse impact on our state’s correctional officers. Unlike many public employees, our corrections officers cannot close their offices and take a day off. Rather, they are under legal obligation to maintain minimum staffing levels. While it is certainly true that we need effective prison reform to bring our state back into fiscal balance, I will not stand for balancing the budget on the backs of our correctional officers. As Attorney General, I will analyze any state-sponsored furlough proposal for its impact on our correctional officers and will ensure that neither officer nor public safety is ever put at risk. 

Supporting Law Enforcement’s Right To Fair Wages. As Attorney General, I will support every branch of law enforcement’s right to fair wages and benefits. Even through tough economic times, we must continue to adequately compensate those willing to risk their lives to protect our communities and keep our families safe. Compromising on police officer wages is one area where California cannot afford to give in. We need to continue to attract the best and the brightest to serve in the vital capacity of law enforcement. As Attorney General, I will advocate for all our officers to receive a fair wage.

Protecting Law Enforcement Pensions. I believe it is vital that we protect retirement benefits for our officers. After faithfully serving our state and protecting our communities, our officers deserve a safe and secure retirement. While there has been concern over the solvency of the pension system in these troubled economic times, California’s public safety unions have led the way in reforming pensions so our officers and their families can have a sustainable and secure future. I will continue this work with law enforcement agencies to determine the weakest areas of the pension system and the appropriate steps that we need to take to strengthen it. 

Improving Community-Police Relations:

Increasing the Number of Community Police through the Federal COPS Program. As a former policy advisor to President Clinton, I helped advance the successful initiative to put 100,000 new community police officers on America's streets. This initiative contributed significantly to the reduction of violent crime by 25% from 1994-2000. I know the importance of funding and supporting local law enforcement as a key to preventing crime. Particularly in this time of state and local budget cuts to law enforcement, federal funding through the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program can be critical to preserving community policing.  As of July 2008, California has received more than $1.2 billion in COPS grants. The COPS program provides vital resources—not only to local law enforcement, but also to school resource officers who work to keep our schools safe.  In 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allocated $1 billion to the U.S. Department of Justice for the COPS Hiring Recovery Program. As California’s Attorney General, I will fight for our fair share of these stimulus funds for California communities. I will also work with the US DOJ in the management and distribution of these funds to make sure that the grant amounts awarded are actually getting to our communities in need. 

Empowering Citizens to Avoid Becoming Victims of Crime. As your Attorney General, I will work to improve public awareness about the steps citizens can take to prevent becoming victims. Communities deserve to know when and where crime is occurring on their streets. Now, citizens and companies are starting to create web resources dedicated to tracking crime and planning the safest route home. As Attorney General, I will work alongside citizen advocates and the business community to develop and promote an outlet for communities to educate, network and share technology to empower all citizens in avoiding high-crime areas.  As part of the Attorney General’s website, I will make local and neighborhood crime data more accessible and include a mapping capability to show where crime is most prevalent throughout the state.  I will link this user-friendly site to the main California state website so that all Californians can easily use technology to become more aware of high-crime areas and be catalysts for community improvement.

Helping Police Officers Fight Crime With New Technologies:

Extending the Sunset Clause for Regional High-Tech Crime Task Forces. Currently, California has five regional task forces that specialize in investigating, prosecuting and preventing online fraud, identity theft and high-tech crime. This winter, I got a firsthand look at the important work that these task forces do when I toured the High-Tech Crime Task Force office in Sacramento. These task forces, under the guidance of the High-Tech Crime Advisory Committee, bring together federal, state and local personnel who specialize in forensic computer examination and high-tech crime prevention. Funding for these task forces is set to sunset in 2011. If we do nothing, California will lose a valuable tool in investigating and prosecuting high-tech and computer crime. With identity theft increasing nationally and California’s vulnerability to online crime, I will work to ensure we do not lose this valuable, high-tech crime prevention and prosecution tool. 

Improving the Advanced Training Center. Currently, the Advanced Training Center (ATC) provides training for law enforcement officers on techniques ranging from drug identification to the use of specialized surveillance equipment. As technology improves, California must lead the nation in the use of cutting-edge technology to keep our communities safe. Moving forward, California must ensure that our training center provides the highest possible quality technology and personnel training in the country. As Attorney General, I will conduct a performance review of the ATC, comparing our services with training centers around the country, and borrow smart practice training seminars that will serve the needs of our law enforcement officers.  I will also review training techniques from the California Criminalistics Institute, our top forensic training program, and ensure that the latest forensics training is available to our law enforcement agents.    

Learning From CompStat and Other Crime Mapping Programs. Starting in New York City in 1994, the Computerized Statistics (CompStat) process began mapping crime “hot-spots” and allowing law enforcement to better target scarce resources to fight crime and improve community quality-of-life. Crimemapping.com has furthered the CompStat process in allowing local law enforcement groups to provide valuable information about recent crime activity in a neighborhood.  By tracking localized crime flow and quality-of-life enforcement information, local law enforcement agencies can maintain accurate and timely crime information, allowing an adaptive and effective response to crime. As Attorney General, I will work with local police departments to share best practices and assess their current CompStat and other criminal mapping programs priorities and needs. 

Promoting Cross-Jurisdictional and Regional Crime Information Sharing.  Just as criminal activity does not limit itself to city, county or even state boundaries, California crime fighting efforts must not exist only in district-wide silos. As Attorney General, I will promote the work of crime analysts in the Investigative Support Crime Analysis Unit who notify local investigators of possible multi-jurisdictional crime and criminal activities. I will also work with law enforcement in all 58 counties to ensure that our criminal information is shared across jurisdictions in a timely and effective manner. 

Supporting Technological Upgrades in Rural Districts.  In May 2010, the National Institute of Justice is holding their 8^th annual Rural Law Enforcement Technology conference, bringing together rural law enforcement leaders from across the country to promote more efficient and effective use of technology by rural law enforcement agencies. As Attorney General, I will provide top technical support and training to our rural law enforcement agencies. 

As Attorney General, Kelly will support our hard-working law enforcement officers. Kelly brings the right mix of experience in public policy, technology and law to fight traditional crime and combat new crimes of today – like identity theft and online sexual predators. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Kelly worked for a federal judge assisting on a wide range of criminal and civil cases, including drug smuggling and money laundering.  Kelly then came home to work for a Palo Alto law firm, representing innovators and entrepreneurs, including Netscape in the Microsoft anti-trust case. 

In the 1990’s, he served as a domestic policy advisor to President Clinton. During his time at the White House, Kelly helped to advance the landmark plan that put 100,000 new community police officers on America’s streets.  As chief legal counsel at Facebook, Kelly led efforts to protect the safety and security of the online community.  Kelly worked by side with Attorneys General from all 50 states developing safeguards to protect children from sexual predators. 

To learn more about Chris Kelly’s candidacy, please visit: www.kelly2010.com or www.facebook.com/chriskelly.