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By Teresa Anderson, Director of Public Policy, The Arc of California
We are very pleased to announce that Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman, who represents Senate District 5, is championing Senate Bill 882 Advisory Council on Improving Interactions between People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Law Enforcement. This bill would create the Advisory Council on Improving Interactions between People with Intellectual and Development Disabilities and Law Enforcement, under the Department of Justice, to, among other things, evaluate existing training for peace officers specific to interactions between law enforcement and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and individuals with mental health conditions. The Arc/United Cerebral Palsy California Collaboration and United Domestic Workers /American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local 3930 are proud to co-sponsor this critical piece of legislation and work with Senator Eggman to bring our communities together in a collaborative effort to build trust and improve outcomes.
The need for this legislation cannot be understated as we know that people with disabilities and people with mental health conditions encounter law enforcement at significantly greater rates than the general public, some data suggests it could be as much as seven times more likely. Recent publications have also reported that between one-third and one half of all people killed by law enforcement officers have a disability so for the health and safety of our loved ones it is absolutely critical that we work together to identify ways in which we can build trust and improve outcomes for everyone involved. We will be reaching out for your support soon so please, when the time comes, help us show the legislature how important this legislation really is! The bill can be read here: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB882