SB 882 Advisory Council Continues Public Meetings on Improving Interaction Between Law Enforcement and People with Disabilities

By Jim Frazier, Director of Public Policy, The Arc & UCP California Collaboration

On October 18, the SB 882 Advisory Council that I am honored chair met to discuss ways to improve interactions between law enforcement and people in the developmental disabilities and mental health communities. We continued the process of engaging with subject-matter experts who are involved with the implementation and training of law enforcement and first responders.

The Council asked many questions about training methods, including where improvements could be made to training materials or time spent on training. I personally suggested engaging with school campus officers, special educators and parents for their feedback. I’m looking forward to engaging with so many more stakeholders in the disability community to receive their feedback and perspective on how interactions might improve.

There is a public comment opportunity during the meeting that can be accessed virtually, and I encourage all of you to share your experiences with the Council. The next Council meeting link and date will be posted soon. I look forward to continuing these invaluable conversations, and developing a full report and recommendations to the Legislature. Here is the SB 882 website to look at past meeting agenda’s and minutes.