Santa Clara County deputy sheriffs and custodial officers: status and duties.

Under existing law, any deputy sheriff of certain counties who is employed to perform duties exclusively or initially relating to custodial assignments, as provided, is a peace officer whose authority extends to any place in the state only while engaged in the performance of the duties of his or her respective employment and for the purpose of carrying out the primary functions of employment relating to his or her custodial assignments, or when performing other law enforcement duties directed by his or her employing agency during a local state of emergency. This bill would include deputy sheriffs in Santa Clara County within that definition of peace officers, as specified. Under existing law a custodial officer is a public officer, not a peace officer, employed by a law enforcement agency of a county having a population of 425,000 or less, or by certain specified counties, including Santa Clara County, who has the authority and responsibility for maintaining custody of prisoners and performs tasks related to the operation of a local detention facility. Under existing law, certain specified duties of custodial officers employed by the Santa Clara County Department of Correction may be performed at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, as needed, in regard to inpatient, in-custody inmates. This bill would allow the duties of custodial officers employed by the Santa Clara County Department of Correction to be performed at other health care facilities in Santa Clara County, in addition to duties performed at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. This bill would remove the requirement that the inmate be inpatient at the health care facility for a custodial officer to perform those duties regarding the inmate. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Santa Clara.