Peace officers: welfare checks: firearms.

Existing law allows a person to be taken into custody for a period of 72 hours for crisis intervention when probable cause exists that the person, as a result of a mental disorder, is a danger to others, or to himself or herself, or gravely disabled. Under existing law, the Attorney General is required to maintain a registry of specified information concerning the sale, lease, or transfer of firearms, and to include in the registry specified data provided to the Department of Justice. This bill would require law enforcement agencies to develop, adopt, and implement written policies and standard protocols pertaining to the best manner to conduct a "welfare check," when the inquiry into the welfare or well-being of the person is motivated by a concern that the person may be a danger to himself or herself or to others. The bill would require those policies to encourage a peace officer, prior to conducting the welfare check and whenever possible and reasonable, as specified, to conduct a search of the Department of Justice Automated Firearms System via the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System to determine whether the person is the registered owner of a firearm. By imposing additional duties on local law enforcement agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.