Redding Today

Senator Brian Dahle (R-Bieber) authored Senate Bill (SB) 804 to address law enforcement staffing challenges and support victims of crime. Despite bipartisan support from both Houses, the Governor vetoed the bill.

SB 804 aimed to allow Community Service Officers (CSOs) to give hearsay testimony in court and act as a bridge between victims and law enforcement. This provision was intended to help law enforcement better utilize its limited resources. Additionally, the bill sought to prevent victims from being interviewed a second time, sparing them from reliving past trauma. The measure was sponsored by the Redding Chief of Police and co-sponsored by the California Police Chiefs Association.

“I’m deeply disappointed that the Governor vetoed this significant measure. As police departments receive less funding, even with rising crime, efficiency is more important than ever,” stated Dahle. “Not to mention that by vetoing this bill, the Governor is sending a clear message that victims don’t matter. He continues to close prisons and protect criminals."

A recent article from CalMatters highlighted that although California's population has grown by nearly 10 million since the early '90s, sworn patrol officer staffing levels have dropped below where they were in 1991. This information was based on a report from the Public Policy Institute of California.

Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett expressed her support for SB 804 in a letter:

"Passage of SB 804 would cure an ever-growing problem faced by law enforcement and District Attorney Offices; protecting victims when resources are spread thin. Under the law as currently written, if a law enforcement agency chooses to use non-sworn law enforcement employees to take a police report on a felony crime, my office, along with other District Attorney's offices throughout the State, must either call the victim of a crime to the stand to testify at a preliminary hearing or request to have a sworn law enforcement officer from the referring agency re-investigate an otherwise fully investigated case to meet the requirements under Penal Code § 872… In effect, this system re-victimizes a crime victim and penalizes them for having reported a crime."

California's 1st Senate District includes all or portions of Alpine, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Sierra, Siskiyou counties as well as parts of Shasta County and deferred areas of Tehama County.