FRESNO, CA (KMJ) A bill to help valley law enforcement streamline their hiring process passes the state senate.
“We’re super excited that it’s made it through the Assembly and the Senate, and obviously very hopeful that the Governor will sign it,” said Kings County Sheriff David Robinson, a supporter of the bill.
SB 1888, authored by Assembly Member Rudy Salas, a Democrat from Bakersfield, is going to extend the amount of time a peace officer has between finishing their basic training and being hired as a patrol deputy from 3 to 5 years, if in that time time they are employed as a peace office in a non patrol position in the same department.
Flexibility already exists but is set to expire in 2019.
“It will no longer have that sunset clause on it, so we’ll be able to use it indefinitely then,” said Sheriff Robinson, “so I think it will even have a bigger impact because then we can go directly to these academies as sheriffs and recruit from them and offer – whether it be a patrol position or a jail position – they’re going to have an opportunity to get a job and that’s what it’s really all about, is we get to fill positions with some really quality candidates.”
Now the bill goes to Governor Brown for his signature. Sheriff Robinson is optimistic.
“He [Gov. Brown] was very supportive three years ago, when it was first passed,” said Sheriff Robinson. “I think with the unanimous support coming out of both houses I think we have a great opportunity for him to sign it.”
Click to listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern:
