What is this act about?
The PEACE Act increases minimum standards such that all new police officers in California must be either 25 years of age or have a bachelor’s degree.
How does it align with yli’s values?
Created initially to catch escaped slaves, policing has always been the brutal enforcement arm of our white supremacist nation. The 2020 uprisings around police killings have heightened the visibility of some of the violently racist tactics used by this institution to enforce racial hierarchy. Many of yli’s youth, who come from low-income communities of color, are the targets of police violence.
yli is a strong advocate for defunding police departments and reimagining public safety in a way that centers community-based solutions. As we work toward that goal, we support legislation that aims to reduce the risk of excessive force at the hands of law enforcement officers. The PEACE Act relies on decades of data that shows officers who have achieved full brain development and those with a bachelor’s degree were less likely to commit excessive force and performed better overall in both the academy and their departments.
What is yli doing about it?
We have just submitted a letter of endorsement for this act, and we are voicing our support on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Who else supports this Act?
- Anti-Recidivism Coalition (Sponsor)
- Brotherhood Crusade
- California Nurses Association
- California Public Defenders Association
- National Center for Youth Law
- Southeast Asia Resource Center
- Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee W. Haywood Burns Institute