Law Enforcement

FRESNO - Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced that California Department of Justice Bureau of Firearms Special Agents have removed more than 500 firearms from a single individual that is legally barred from owning them and is in the Armed Prohibited Persons System (APPS) database.  Through this operation, agents seized 209 handguns, 88 shotguns, 234 rifles, 181 standard capacity magazines, 10 high capacity magazines, 100,521 rounds of various ammunition, and 10 assault weapons including a .50 caliber bolt action rifle. The individual, from Clovis, is on the APPS database due to a prior mental health hold, which prohibits an individual from possessing firearms. The individual was arrested for illegally possessing the firearms. 

This operation, as well as ongoing and day-to-day investigations have reduced the number of individuals in APPS to a historic low.  Since November 2013, Attorney General Harris has brought the number of individuals in the registry down by nearly half.  Over the last two years, the California Department of Justice has doubled the average number of guns seized annually and increased the number of investigations per month by nearly 300%, allowing special agents to conduct 17,465 investigations as of October 30, 2015. 

“Removing firearms from dangerous and violent individuals who pose a threat to themselves and the public is a top priority for the California Department of Justice,” said Attorney General Harris.  “I thank our Bureau of Firearms Special Agents for their bravery in carrying out these dangerous investigations and their commitment to keeping our communities safe.”

In October, California Department of Justice Special Agents and the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department conducted an APPS operation that resulted in the seizure of 82 firearms and 10 arrests.  In May, California Department of Justice Special Agents and local law enforcement partners in Los Angeles County conducted a similar successful operation that resulted in the seizure of 254 firearms, 48,000 rounds of ammunition, and 18 illegal high capacity magazines, as well as the arrest of 26 individuals.

In 2011, Attorney General Harris sponsored SB 819 (Leno) to allow the Department of Justice to use existing regulatory fees collected by gun dealers (“DROS fees”) for purposes of regulatory and enforcement activities related to firearms, including management of APPS.  This went into effect January 2012.  In 2013, Attorney General Harris sponsored SB 140 (Leno) to appropriate $24 million in funding from the DROS Account to help support the APPS program; this urgency legislation went into effect immediately in May 2013.

APPS works to identify individuals who previously procured firearms, but later became barred from legally owning them because they were convicted of a felony or a violent misdemeanor, placed under a domestic violence restraining order, or suffer from serious mental illness.  California is the first and only state in the U.S. to establish an automated system for tracking handgun and assault weapon owners who might fall into a prohibited status.

LOS ANGELES - In the wake of recent events in California and across the nation that highlight the need for building trust between law enforcement and the communities they are sworn to serve, Attorney General Kamala D. Harris has taken several steps to strengthen this relationship. Today, Attorney General Harris announced the kickoff of the first Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (“POST”) certified law enforcement training on both procedural justice and implicit bias, the first of its kind in the country.

The first of two course dates will be held today at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles and the second will be held on Thursday, November 19 at the California Highway Patrol in Sacramento. 

“In January, I began a dialogue with leaders of the California law enforcement community about strengthening the relationship of trust between law enforcement and the communities we are sworn to serve,” said Attorney General Harris.  “Throughout this dialogue, a theme has emerged regarding the need to continue to bring best-in-class training to law enforcement across our state.  Today, we are proud to announce that the California Department of Justice is offering the first POST certified course in the nation to combine the concepts of procedural justice and implicit bias.  This course is the result of a true collaboration with law enforcement, community partners and academics to bring evidence-based concepts into practice.”

The training course, titled “Principled Policing:  Procedural Justice and Implicit Bias” is the result of a collaborative partnership between the California Department of Justice, the Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training, the Stockton and Oakland Police Departments, Stanford University and the California Partnership for Safe Communities.

“On behalf of POST, we are proud to join Attorney General Harris in offering this innovative course on Principled Policing,” said Bob Stresak, Executive Director of POST.  “The high enrollment in this course is a testament to California's law enforcement leaders recognizing that California's communities deserve the highest levels of professional service and that they are committed to making every effort to accomplish this goal.”

Specifically, the procedural justice and implicit bias training will consist of six areas that focus on policing approaches that emphasize respect, listening, neutrality and trust, while recognizing and addressing implicit biases that can be barriers to these approaches.  As a result, the training will work to create a broader awareness of both procedural justice and implicit bias in order to build trust and improve public and officer safety.

“We are pleased to have contributed to this new, research-based training,” said Stanford Professor Jennifer Eberhardt. “Our aim is to improve the ability of law enforcement executives across the state to recognize and address common implicit biases – biases that can be barriers to neutral policing.”

“The experience of police departments across the country, backed up by extensive research, is that procedural justice interventions are among the most effective tools available to police for strengthening trust and communication with communities,” said Stewart Wakeling, Executive Director of the California Partnership for Safer Communities.  “We have worked with the Stockton and Oakland Police Departments, with community leaders and officers as key partners, to bring procedural justice training to their officers, and are excited to add Implicit Bias to the curriculum and make it available to agencies statewide.”

The course will total eight hours of training and participants will receive a certificate and be required to complete a pre- and post- survey of the course.  Stanford University will be compiling the survey results to conduct an evaluation of the course. More than 90 applicants from 30 agencies applied for the course.

“I commend Attorney General Harris and these partners for playing a leadership role in advancing 21st Century Policing at the state level.  The President’s Task Force specifically identifies procedural justice and addressing implicit bias as cornerstones of 21st Century Policing.  General Harris is leading the nation in her support for law enforcement agencies across California to understand and apply these concepts,” said Tracey Meares, Walton Hale Hamilton Professor at Yale Law School and Member of President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing.

The following law enforcement agencies have enrolled in the first courses: 

• Berkeley Police Department
• California Department of Justice
• California Highway Patrol
• El Cerrito Police Department
• Elk Grove Police Department
• Fremont Police Department
• Fresno Police Department
• Indio Police Department
• Lassen County Sheriff’s Department
• Long Beach Police Department
• Los Angeles Airport Police Department
• Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
• Los Angeles Police Department
• Modesto Police Department
• Newport Beach Police Department
• Orange County Sheriff’s Department
• Oxnard Police Department
• Rancho Cordova Police Department
• Richmond Police Department
• Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department
• Sacramento Police Department
• San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department
• San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
• San Diego Police Department
• San Francisco Police Department
• San Jose Police Department
• Simi Valley Police Department
• Ventura Police Department

POST was formed by the California State Legislature to enforce minimum training and selection standards in order to increase the professionalism of California law enforcement.  

This training was developed as part of the California Department of Justice’s 90-Day Review of its own special agent training programs on implicit bias and use of force which were announced in April 2015.

Since January 2015, Attorney General Harris has taken several steps to strengthen the trust between law enforcement and California communities.  These actions include:

• Directing the Department of Justice’s Division of Law Enforcement to conduct a 90-Day Review of its special agent trainings on implicit bias and use of force.
• Instituting a body camera policy for all DOJ special agent personnel conducting field operations.
• Convening law enforcement, youth and community organizations.
• Creating the 21st Century Policing Working Group to foster discussion regarding implicit bias and building community trust.
• Launching OpenJustice, a first-of-its-kind criminal justice open data initiative that will release unprecedented data while being interactive and easy to use.  The tool spotlights key criminal justice indicators and embraces transparency in the criminal justice system to strengthen trust, enhance government accountability, and inform public policy.
• Creating a POST Certified Training on Implicit Bias and Procedural Justice

Last month, Attorney General Harris launched OpenJustice, a first-of-its-kind criminal justice open data initiative that will release unprecedented data while being interactive and easy to use.  The tool consists of two components: a Dashboard that spotlights key criminal justice indicators with user-friendly visualization tools and an Open Data Portal that publishes raw data from the California Department of Justice’s statewide repository of criminal justice datasets.  OpenJustice (openjustice.doj.ca.gov) embraces transparency in the criminal justice system to strengthen trust, enhance government accountability, and inform public policy.

SACRAMENTO - Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced that the California Department of Justice and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department have completed a multi-day operation to remove firearms from individuals legally barred from possessing them, including persons determined to be mentally unstable and those with active restraining orders against them. The joint operation resulted in 150 investigations and the seizure of 82 firearms and 10 arrests, targeting individuals on the Armed Prohibited Persons System (APPS).

This operation, as well as ongoing and day-to-day investigations, reduced the number of individuals in APPS to a historic low. As of November 4, 2015, the number of individuals on the APPS list is 13,918, the lowest it’s been since January 2009.

“Removing firearms from dangerous and violent individuals who pose a threat to themselves and the public is a top priority for the California Department of Justice,” said Attorney General Harris. “I thank our Department of Justice Bureau of Firearms Special Agents and the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department for their bravery in carrying out these dangerous investigations and their commitment to keeping our communities safe.”

The three-day operation, conducted the week of October 26, included 27 California Department of Justice Special Agents and 20 Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputies.

Over the last two years, the California Department of Justice has doubled the average number of guns seized per year and increased the number of investigations per month by nearly 300%, enabling special agents to conduct 17,465 investigations as of October 30, 2015.

In May, California Department of Justice Special Agents and Los Angeles County local law enforcement partners conducted an APPS operation that resulted in the seizure of 254 firearms, 48,000 rounds of ammunition, and 18 illegal high capacity magazines. The L.A. County operation also resulted in the arrest of 26 individuals.

APPS works to identify individuals who previously purchased firearms, but later became prohibited from legally owning them because they were convicted of a felony or a violent misdemeanor, placed under a domestic violence restraining order, or suffer from serious mental illness. The database was completed in November 2006, and instantly created a queue of thousands of investigations.

In 2011, Attorney General Harris sponsored SB 819 (Leno) to allow the Department of Justice to use existing regulatory fees collected by gun dealers (“DROS fees”) for purposes of regulatory and enforcement activities related to firearms, including management of APPS.  This went into effect January 2012.  In 2013, Attorney General Harris sponsored SB 140 (Leno) to appropriate $24 million in funding from the DROS Account to help support the APPS program; this urgency legislation went into effect immediately in May 2013.

California is the first and only state in the nation to establish an automated system for tracking handgun and assault weapon owners who might fall into a prohibited status.

LOS ANGELES - Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today issued an information bulletin to California law enforcement agencies detailing new responsibilities under state law to assist immigrant crime victims in applying for U visas, a form of immigration relief specifically set aside for victims of crime who lack authorized immigration status.

California’s Immigrant Victims of Crime Equity Act (SB 674, De León), which takes effect on January 1, 2016, will require state and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, judges, and other specified officials to certify the helpfulness of immigrant crime victims of specified qualifying crimes on a federal U Nonimmigrant Status Certification, also known as a “U visa certification.”  U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services considers these certifications in determining whether to grant a qualifying immigrant a U visa.

“Protecting victims of crime and encouraging their cooperation in criminal investigations and prosecutions keeps our communities safe,” said Attorney General Harris. “This information bulletin provides state and local law enforcement with clear direction to comply with the new U visa requirements, which will help prosecutors obtain convictions while strengthening the relationship of trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities.”

The new law (Penal Code Section 679.10) mandates that certain state and local law enforcement agencies and other specified officials complete U visa certifications, upon request, for immigrant crime victims who have been helpful, are being helpful, or are likely to be helpful in the detection, investigation, or prosecution of specified qualifying crimes. The new law also requires certifying entities to complete the certification within 90 days of the request, except in cases where the applicant is in immigration removal proceedings, in which case the certification must be completed within 14 days of the request

In addition to providing guidance on the new state law, the Attorney General’s bulletin summarizes existing federal law governing U visas, answers relevant questions regarding U visa eligibility, and encourages state and local law enforcement agencies and officers to be vigilant in identifying and supporting immigrant crime victims who may be eligible for U visas. 

U Visas are federal immigration visas designed only for victims of crime who have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse because of criminal activity, and who are willing to assist federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies or government officials in the investigation of that criminal activity.

Attorney General Harris previously issued two information bulletins regarding immigration issues to local law enforcement agencies.  A bulletin in 2012 advised that local law enforcement had the discretion not to enforce Secure Communities detainer requests and in 2014, the second bulletin provided local law enforcement with updated guidance based on the state’s TRUST Act, which was passed to promote community policing and trust between law enforcement and communities.

Earlier this month, Attorney General Harris sent a letter to U.S. Senate Leaders opposing S. 2146, legislation that would withhold federal funding from California law enforcement agencies that comply with the TRUST Act. 

A copy of the bulletin is attached to the online version of this news release at www.oag.ca.gov/news.

Attorney General Kamala D. Harris announced a new partnership between the California Department of Justice and the White House Police Data Initiative, following the recent launch of OpenJustice (openjustice.doj.ca.gov), a first-of-its-kind criminal justice open data initiative launched by the California Department of Justice. 

The White House Police Data Initiative announced the partnership through a blog post as President Barack Obama addressed attendees at the 122nd annual conference of the Internal Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). The blog post is available here.

The new collaborative effort will encourage law enforcement agencies across California to adopt open data policies and provide tools and resources to empower those agencies to better utilize their data to enhance public safety.

“Open data increases transparency and accountability in policing, which strengthens trust between law enforcement and the communities we are sworn to protect,” said Attorney General Harris.  “I thank the White House Police Data Initiative for their partnership, and I encourage law enforcement agencies around the country to modernize their data collection practices and to share this valuable information with their communities..”

The California Department of Justice’s new OpenJustice initiative, announced in September 2015, released unprecedented data in an interactive, easy-to-use format. The initiative consists of two components: a Justice Dashboard highlighting key criminal justice indicators with user-friendly visualization tools, and an Open Data Portal publishing criminal justice data sets from the California Department of Justice’s statewide repository.

Initial datasets published include (1) Law Enforcement Officers Killed or Assaulted in the Line of Duty; (2) Deaths in Custody, including arrest-related deaths; and (3) Arrests and Bookings.  For each metric, the Dashboard features interactive web tools that allow the public to explore these key criminal justice indicators over time and across jurisdictions. Additional datasets that touch on aspects of the criminal justice system and new functionality will be added to the site over the next several months.

The White House Police Data Initiative has partnered with community organizations, technologists, and police associations to encourage greater transparency in criminal justice and use data and technology in ways that build community trust and reduce unnecessary uses of force.  This new partnership with California marks the first state partnership with the White House Police Data Initiative.  

The California Department of Justice and the White House Police Data Initiative are offering technical assistance, tools, and resources to local law enforcement agencies interested in building greater community trust and pursuing more effective policing through technology and open data. Code for America and CI Technologies are working with the initiative to build an open source software tool to assist law enforcement agencies in reporting data and public and private-sector partners are developing cutting-edge mapping and visualizations to make the data accessible and easily understood.

LOS ANGELES - Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today sent a letter to United States Senators opposing S. 2146, the Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act, legislation proposed by Senator David Vitter (R- Louisiana), which would potentially withhold federal funding from California law enforcement agencies who comply with the state Transparency and Responsibility Using State Tool Act (TRUST Act). 

In the letter, Attorney General Harris expresses concerns over this effort to undermine the delicate balance struck in California to protect public safety and strengthen the relationship of trust between law enforcement and communities. 

“I strongly believe that serious and violent criminals—whether undocumented or not—should be held accountable for their crimes.  But when local law enforcement officials are seen as de facto immigration agents, it erodes the trust between our peace officers and the communities we are sworn to serve,” Attorney General Harris stated in the letter.  “Criminal justice policy should not be conflated with national immigration policy.”

In June 2014, Attorney General Harris sent a bulletin to law enforcement agencies in California, outlining their responsibilities and potential liability for complying with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) federal detainer requests for undocumented immigrants.

The letter makes clear that California local law enforcement agencies are always able to notify ICE about serious criminals or those who pose a threat to public safety or national security.  The TRUST Act allows local law enforcement to notify ICE about serious criminals, while requiring that local agencies analyze public safety risks posed by an individual, including a review of the arrest offense and criminal history, before deciding whether to devote local resources to hold an undocumented immigrant on behalf of the federal government. 

The letter to the Senate is attached to the online version of this release at www.oag.ca.gov/news.

The law enforcement bulletin is available online here: http://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/law_enforcement/14-01_le_info_bulletin.pdf.

SAN FRANCISCO - Attorney General Kamala D. Harris will join Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. and President Jeremy Travis of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in the formation of a partnership to launch the Institute for Innovation in Prosecution (IIP).  Attorney General Harris will serve on the Institute’s Advisory Board. 

The Institute will bring together prosecutors, academics, law enforcement officials, and other leaders to develop practical solutions to the critical issues facing the criminal justice system in the 21st century, including how to ensure public safety while at the same time improving fairness in the system.

“For too long, criminal justice policy in America has been framed by a false choice: that one is either ‘tough on crime’ or ‘soft on crime,’” said Attorney General Harris. “This has led to short-sighted policies that erode the public’s faith in the criminal justice system.  By taking a ‘smart on crime’ approach, this partnership will assist in the development and implementation of innovative, data-driven prosecution strategies that will lead to a more transparent, fair and effective criminal justice system.”

“Our investment in IIP represents our bid to ensure that this pivotal moment for criminal justice reform does not pass us by,” said District Attorney Vance. “As a brick-and-mortar think tank housed within a national research university, IIP is uniquely positioned to drive innovation and analysis of the ‘big issues’ confronting prosecutors in the years and decades to come. IIP will advance comprehensive policy solutions reflecting the very best in justice innovation – policies which increase safety and fairness at the same time.”

Affiliated with John Jay’s National Network for Safe Communities (NNSC), the IIP will be led by an Executive Director and will develop program offerings designed to drive policy and procedural changes in the American justice system. The Institute’s wide range of programs will include executive-level forums, professional development, and research opportunities to help enhance prosecutorial strategies, including a workshop for new prosecutors and an executive session on the emerging role of the prosecutor. Through these programs, the IIP will serve as a national laboratory to reimagine the role and function of prosecutors.

Among the initial topics that the Institute will examine include:

• Implicit bias in prosecutors’ offices;

• Data-driven prosecution and investment in preventative crime fighting strategies;

• Pre-trial diversion and release, including a risk assessment and evidence-based approach to achieving better and fairer outcomes for those who enter the criminal justice system;

• Planning for release and re-entry, including bringing prosecutors, judges, and corrections officials together to design and invest in education and skill development for incarcerated individuals in order to maximize success post-release;

• Best-practice models for police-involved fatal encounters with civilians; and

• How prosecutors can best address the impact of gun violence.

The three-year, $3 million in funding being allocated by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is the result of settlements with international banks that violated U.S. sanctions. The IIP will be guided by an Advisory Board comprised of Attorney General Harris and the following national leaders in criminal justice reform:

Anita Alvarez
State Attorney, Cook County

Lenore Anderson
Executive Director, Californians for Safety and Justice

Paul Butler
Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center

John Chisholm
District Attorney, Milwaukee County

Mai Fernandez
Executive Director, National Center for Victims of Crime

George Gascon
District Attorney, City and County of San Francisco

Nancy Gertner
Senior Lecturer, Harvard Law School

Jackie Lacey
District Attorney, Los Angeles County

Garry McCarthy
Superintendent, Chicago Police Department

Anne Milgram
Vice President of Criminal Justice, Arnold Foundation

A.C. Roper
Chief of Police, Birmingham

Kathy Fernandez Rundle
State’s Attorney, Miami Dade

Dan Satterberg
Prosecuting Attorney, King County (Seattle)

Seth Williams
District Attorney, Philadelphia

Ronald Wright
Professor, Wake Forest University School of Law

The Advisory Board is scheduled to convene its first meeting in October.

Attorney General Harris has demonstrated a career-long commitment to improving the fairness and effectiveness of the criminal justice system. In 2013, she created within the California Department of Justice the Division of Recidivism Reduction and Re-Entry to curb recidivism in California by partnering with counties and District Attorneys on best practices and policy initiatives.

This year, she also launched Back on Track Los Angeles, a comprehensive reentry program with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles County Probation, and other key partners; directed a 90-day Review of her Division of Law Enforcement’s policies on use of force and implicit bias; convened law enforcement leaders to share best practices through her 21st Century Policing Working Group; created the first POST-certified course on Procedural Justice and Implicit Bias in the U.S.; and developed a pilot body-worn camera policy within the Department of Justice. Last month, she launched OpenJustice, a first-of-its-kind open data initiative that released unprecedented criminal justice data to strengthen trust, enhance government accountability, and inform public policy.

LOS ANGELES - Today, Attorney General Kamala D. Harris announced the launch of a new, first-of-its-kind online resource hub with tools for victims, technology companies and law enforcement agencies to combat cyber exploitation, the criminal act of posting intimate photos or videos online without the consent of the individual.  Today’s announcement is a culmination of nine months of work by the Attorney General’s Cyber Exploitation Task Force, a collaboration between the Department of Justice, major technology companies, law enforcement, and victims’ advocates. 

In response, elected officials and leaders in the technology industry released the following statements of support:

Antigone Davis, Head of Global Safety Policy, Facebook:

"Sharing intimate images of someone without their consent can be both devastating and dangerous for the victim. Such activity is not allowed on Facebook and we are proud to support Attorney General Harris’ anti-cyber exploitation initiative to raise awareness of this abhorrent practice and promote tools to fight it.”

Jacqueline Beauchere, Chief Online Safety Officer, Microsoft:

"Non-consensual distribution of sexual content, commonly known as ‘revenge porn’, is a horrific violation of privacy that can damage nearly every aspect of a victim’s life. Microsoft commends Attorney General Harris' commitment to this issue and we are proud to support this effort to help ensure victims have easy access to the tools they need to regain control of their images and their privacy. We hope this new online hub, which includes reporting information for online services such as Microsoft’s new reporting site for Bing, OneDrive and Xbox Live, will prove to be a valuable resource for victims."

Danielle Keats Citron, Lois K. Macht Research Professor & Professor of Law, University of Maryland Carey School of Law:

“Attorney General Kamala Harris's Working Group has set a major milestone in the fight against cyber exploitation today.  In my research of hate crimes in cyberspace, I’ve interviewed more than 50 exploitation victims.  Victims had a hard time finding employment because their nude images and contact information appeared prominently in online searches. They were terrified that strangers would confront them in person. They moved; some changed their names; all were distraught. The fallout was devastating. AG Harris's work is groundbreaking, educating victims about their rights, providing training to law enforcement, securing essential legislation, and working with companies on best practices. The Working Group's efforts in California are a model for the rest of the country.” 

John Doherty, Vice President of State Policy & Politics and General Counsel, TechNet:

“TechNet applauds Attorney General Kamala Harris' efforts to crack down on cyber exploitation, which violates a victim on a deeply personal and private level.  We’re proud that the technology industry has come together in support of this important issue to provide victims an avenue of protection. Over the past 50 years, the Internet has revolutionized the way we communicate, engage in commerce, and collaborate with friends and colleagues around the world.  Overwhelmingly, these changes have been a force for good.  But, clearly there is a dark side, and we must remain vigilant in the effort to protect Internet users from this type of terrible and troubling cyber exploitation.” 

Bob Stresak, Executive Director, California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST):

“The Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training is honored to be a part of the Attorney General’s working group in a progressive effort to combat cyber exploitation.  As technology advances, criminal activity takes new forms.  This often presents challenges for law enforcement.  Law enforcement must advance in its ability to proactively address and effectively respond to those challenges.  To that end, the Commission on POST will continue in its commitment to provide the best training available to the law enforcement community.”

California Assemblymember Mike Gatto (D-Glendale):

“Cyber exploitation is a serious crime.  I was proud to partner with Attorney General Harris on legislation to eliminate jurisdictional loopholes and give additional tools to law enforcement to investigate and prosecute this type of crime. The Department of Justice’s resource hub will play an important role in the fight to end cyber exploitation in California.”

California Senator Anthony Cannella (R-Ceres):

“Cyber exploitation greatly disrupts the lives of victims.  I am glad that California remains in the forefront of fighting this horrendous crime. We need victims to be more aware that there are resources to protect them.  This is a valuable tool to help in ending cyber exploitation.”

LOS ANGELES - Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced the launch of a new, first-of-its-kind online resource hub with helpful tools for victims, the technology industry and law enforcement agencies to combat cyber exploitation, the criminal act of posting intimate photos or videos online without the consent of the individual.  Today’s announcement is a culmination of nine months of work by the Attorney General’s Cyber Exploitation Task Force, a collaboration between the Department of Justice, major technology companies, law enforcement, and victims’ advocates.   

“Posting intimate images online without consent is a cowardly crime that humiliates and belittles victims,” said Attorney General Harris. “These new tools will assist law enforcement in combating cyber exploitation and support victims in seeking justice. I would like to thank our partners from our task force, whose work will have a global impact in combatting this heinous crime.”

Attorney General Harris’s effort is centered on a newly created online resource hub that will work to empower victims with information on how to have images posted without permission removed from popular websites and search engines, and provide clear guidance to local law enforcement about new and existing laws to investigate and prosecute cyber exploitation cases. The resource hub will include a Best Practice Guide for technology companies to help them develop policies that prevent the posting and sharing of cyber exploitation images. 

Designed to be a one-stop-shop for law enforcement, victims and technology companies, the site will include information graphics with steps individuals can take after being a victim of cyber exploitation, and the first-ever comprehensive collection of major technology platforms’ privacy policies and links to report improper use of intimate images and how to have them removed from social media sites and online search engines.

“Attorney General Kamala Harris's Working Group has set a major milestone in the fight against cyber exploitation today.  In my research of hate crimes in cyberspace, I’ve interviewed more than 50 exploitation victims.  Victims had a hard time finding employment because their nude images and contact information appeared prominently in online searches. They were terrified that strangers would confront them in person. They moved; some changed their names; all were distraught. The fallout was devastating,” said Danielle Keats Citron, Lois K. Macht Research Professor & Professor of Law at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law. “AG Harris's work is groundbreaking, educating victims about their rights, providing training to law enforcement, securing essential legislation, and working with companies on best practices. The Working Group's efforts in California are a model for the rest of the country.”

“TechNet applauds Attorney General Kamala Harris' efforts to crack down on cyber exploitation, which violates a victim on a deeply personal and private level.  We’re proud that the technology industry has come together in support of this important issue to provide victims an avenue of protection,” said John Doherty, Vice President of State Policy & Politics and General Counsel at TechNet. “Over the past 50 years, the Internet has revolutionized the way we communicate, engage in commerce, and collaborate with friends and colleagues around the world.  Overwhelmingly, these changes have been a force for good.  But, clearly there is a dark side, and we must remain vigilant in the effort to protect Internet users from this type of terrible and troubling cyber exploitation.”

In tandem with the launch of the anti-cyber exploitation initiative, Attorney General Harris issued a Law Enforcement Bulletin, with instructions for all California law enforcement agencies on how to use and enforce new and existing laws related to cyber exploitation crimes. This past legislative session, Attorney General Harris sponsored two bills to enable more effective prosecution of cyber exploitation crimes: AB 1310 and SB 676. Both laws were signed by Governor Jerry Brown and become effective January 1, 2016. 

AB 1310, sponsored by Assemblymember Mike Gatto (D-Glendale), expands the jurisdictional options for prosecuting cyber exploitation cases and allows law enforcement to use a search warrant to investigate cyber exploitation cases. SB 676, sponsored by Senator Anthony Cannella (R-Ceres), adds cyber exploitation to the list of computer crimes eligible for forfeiture and destruction of property as part of a judgment and provides law enforcement with a process for seizing and destroying cyber exploitation images.

The initiative will also include a digital campaign, lead by the Attorney General’s Cyber Exploitation Task Force, using the hashtag #EndCyberExploitation, to raise awareness of the crime and connect victims with resources.   

The Attorney General’s cyber exploitation website was launched in October to mark Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Cyber Security Awareness Month. According to the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative (CCRI), a partner in the working group, more than 90% of victims of cyber exploitation are women and girls. In CCRI’s survey of cyber exploitation victims, 51% reported having suicidal thoughts.

In January 2015, Attorney General Harris convened a task force of 50 major technology companies (including Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Yahoo, and Twitter), victims’ advocates, and legislative and law enforcement leaders to fight cyber exploitation. The Attorney General’s working group on cyber exploitation is focused on four key areas: (1) education and prevention, (2) law enforcement education and training , (3) technology leadership and (4) legislation. This initiative is the culmination of this group’s work over the last nine months. 

Attorney General Harris created the eCrime Unit in 2011 to identify and prosecute identity theft crimes, cybercrimes, and other crimes involving the use of technology. The California Department of Justice is leading the nation in prosecuting these crimes, having garnered the first successful prosecution of a cyber exploitation operator in the country.  Earlier this year, Kevin Bollaert was sentenced to eight years imprisonment followed by ten years of supervised release for his operation of a cyber exploitation website that allowed the anonymous, public posting of intimate photos accompanied by personal identifying information of individuals without their consent.

The new resource hub can be found at http://oag.ca.gov/cyberexploitation.   

LOS ANGELES - Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today issued a statement in response to Governor Jerry Brown’s signature of Assembly Bill 1310 (Gatto, D-Glendale), one of two cyber exploitation bills sponsored by Attorney General Harris.

“This new law gives law enforcement important tools necessary to hold cyber exploitation perpetrators accountable and bring justice to victims,” said Attorney General Harris. “AB 1310 furthers the ability of law enforcement to gather evidence and prosecute these heinous cases. I thank Assemblymember Gatto for authoring this critical measure.”

AB 1310 amends current law by allowing search warrants to be issued for cyber exploitation crimes, giving law enforcement the ability to search electronic databases and retrieve the victims’ images.  AB 1310 also allows for the prosecution of cyber exploitation cases in the county where the victim resides or in the county where the images were posted.  Since posters and website operators commonly reside outside of the victim’s jurisdiction, this change in the law will relieve some of the burden placed on the victim during the prosecution of the case. 

“With this legislation, law enforcement will be able to more effectively investigate and prosecute cyber exploitation criminals across multiple jurisdictions,” said Assemblymember Gatto.  “I applaud the Attorney General for championing this measure and thank Governor Brown for signing it into law.”

This year, Attorney General Harris sponsored two bills to enhance the prosecution of cyber exploitation in the state.  Senate Bill 676 (Cannella, R-Ceres), signed by the governor last month, enables law enforcement to seek the forfeiture and destruction of cyber exploitation images. 

On October 14, the Attorney General’s Cyber Exploitation Working Group will announce its findings and unveil new resources for victims, law enforcement, and tech companies in the fight against cyber exploitation.  This new initiative represents the culmination of a 9 month-long collaboration on four key areas: developing industry best practices, education and prevention, law enforcement training and collaboration, as well as legislation and advocacy.  The working group includes major technology companies such as Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, Yahoo!, Google, and Instagram.

Attorney General Harris created the eCrime Unit in 2011 to identify and prosecute identity theft crimes, cybercrimes, and other crimes involving the use of technology. The California Department of Justice is leading the nation in prosecuting these crimes, having garnered the first successful prosecution of a cyber exploitation operator in the country. In 2015, Kevin Bollaert was sentenced to eight years imprisonment followed by ten years of supervised release for his operation of a cyber exploitation website that allowed the anonymous, public posting of intimate photos accompanied by personal identifying information of individuals without their consent.