California may usher in a new way to punish law enforcement officers who misbehave.
Currently, California is one of four states that does not have a way to decertify police officers. The other three are Hawaii, New Jersey, and Rhode Island.
The state could create a way to license law enforcement officers which means they would lose their badges for misbehavior like racial bias, according to reporting done by the Associated Press and CBS13.
The proposed legislation would also make it easier to sue police officers for monetary damages.
The bill is being led by Sen. Steven Bradford who heads the Senate Public Safety Committee.
“These are officers who have abused their authority and violated the public trust, and we all agree they must be held accountable,” said Bradford. “We (in California) claim to be a leader in all things — we shouldn’t be an outlier when it comes to police reform.”
Bradford's bill would also require the state's Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training to issue every officer a certificate or proof of eligibility.
According to AP/CBS13, the state licenses over 200 professions but law enforcement officers is not one of them.
The bill would give the commission the right to investigate officers and revoke their certification for misbehavior like using excessive force, sexual assault, false arrests, or participating in a law enforcement gang.
It would also allow the commission to retroactively investigate conduct by officers.
A related bill by Assemblyman Ash Kalra would also require law enforcement agencies to take badges from officers who have been members of hate groups or have participated in public expressions of hate.
Photo: Getty Images