Domestic violence.

Existing law requires every law enforcement agency to develop, adopt, and implement written policies and standards for officers' responses to domestic violence calls. Existing law requires these policies to include specific standards for furnishing written notice to victims at the scene, including, among other things, information about the victim's rights. This bill would additionally require that information to include a statement informing the victim that strangulation may cause internal injuries and encouraging the victim to seek medical attention. Existing law requires each law enforcement agency to develop a system for recording all domestic violence-related calls for assistance, including whether weapons are involved, to compile the total number of domestic violence calls received and the numbers of those cases involving weapons, and to report that information annually to the Governor, the Legislature, and the public, as specified. This bill would, in addition to the information about whether weapons are involved, require this information to include whether the incident involved strangulation or suffocation. Existing law requires each law enforcement agency to develop an incident report form that includes a domestic violence identification code, and requires that incident report form to include specified information. This bill would require that incident report form to additionally include whether there were indications that the incident involved strangulation or suffocation, as specified. By imposing additional duties on local law enforcement agencies, this bill would create 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 the statutory provisions noted above.