Law enforcement policies: restraining orders.

Assembly Member Petrie-Norris's law enforcement reform legislation mandates California police departments and sheriff's offices to establish standardized protocols for handling court protection and restraining orders that restrict firearm access. The measure requires all municipal, county, state highway patrol, and university law enforcement agencies to develop and implement comprehensive written policies by January 2027.

The legislation outlines specific requirements for these new protocols, including procedures for serving restraining orders and managing firearm relinquishment. Officers must request immediate surrender of firearms when serving orders, conduct necessary searches, document transferred weapons, and update state databases within one business day. The policies must detail processes for situations where immediate relinquishment is not possible, including requirements for transferring weapons within 24 hours and providing proof to courts within 48 hours.

The measure establishes protocols for identifying and responding to restrained persons who fail to surrender firearms. Law enforcement agencies must coordinate with courts to track non-compliance, contact restricted individuals to facilitate surrender, obtain search warrants when necessary, and notify protected parties of violations. Agencies must also create public-facing procedures for firearm relinquishment, including storage protocols and requirements for returning weapons when orders expire.

To promote consistent implementation, the legislation requires agencies to maintain current documentation of their procedures, post information about restraining order service on their websites, and consult with domestic violence advocates and gun violence prevention experts when developing policies. The measure includes provisions for state reimbursement of costs incurred by local agencies in executing these new requirements.