Report 2017-131 Recommendation 15 Responses

Report 2017-131: Hate Crimes in California: Law Enforcement Has Not Adequately Identified, Reported, or Responded to Hate Crimes (Release Date: May 2018)

Recommendation #15 To: Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training

To ensure its hate crime training effectively communicates information essential to properly identifying and addressing hate crimes, POST should evaluate its hate crime courses periodically. It should also seek resources to implement these efforts, if necessary.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2019

In 2019 POST converted the Hate Crimes training DVD to an online course utilizing streaming technology. The course is now housed on the POST Learning Portal, and thus will provide free and instant access to the training for 90,000+ California peace officers and public safety dispatchers in the POST program. Since the training is now hosted online, and on the POST Learning Portal, students are able to access and complete the training at their own pace, at a time and location of their choosing. In addition, by making the course available instantly, on a wide variety of platforms, students are able to review or use the course and its accompanying materials at the scene of a suspected hate crime or hate incident.

At the conclusion of the course, students are now able to provide feedback about the course, including comments that will allow POST to judge the effectiveness of the training and to evaluate the content and usefulness of the course. If students desire CPT credit for the course, they are able to engage in facilitated learning with their designated department trainers, who can further reinforce and support the training and objectives of the course. Instructors can then submit the training for POST credit and can provide comments and feedback about the effectiveness of the course through the Learning Portal.

POST has now completed the process of updating its model policy guidelines for Hate Crimes. POST held two workshops utilizing subject matter experts (SMEs) from across the state to accomplish this objective. The new model policy guidelines were published to the POST website on July 8, 2019 and contain best practices, considerations, relevant statutes, and a sample investigative checklist that can be instantly accessed and used by dispatchers, first responders, investigators, and supervisors in the field.

Completion Date: July 2019

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented

We reviewed POST's updated hate crime training video and found that viewers could provide feedback to make the course more effective. In addition, we observed that POST updated its hate crime guidelines.

1-Year Agency Response

In 2019, POST will be converting the Hate Crimes training DVD to a self-paced online course utilizing streaming technology. The course will be housed on the POST Learning Portal, and thus will provide free instant access to the training to 90,000+ California peace officers and public safety dispatchers in the POST program. Since the training will be conducted online and on the POST Learning Portal, POST training records for those who complete the course will automatically be updated. As with all POST Learning Portal self-paced courses, the training will include a survey upon completion. The survey will be used by POST to evaluate the content and usefulness of the training.

POST has completed the process of updating its model policy guidelines for Hate Crimes. POST held two workshops utilizing subject matter experts (SMEs) from across the state to accomplish this objective. Final review and approval is occurring now, and POST anticipates publishing the new model policy guidelines by June 30, 2019.

Estimated Completion Date: December 31, 2019
Response Date: May 2019

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Pending

6-Month Agency Response

In early 2019, POST will convert the Hate Crimes training DVD to a self-paced online course utilizing streaming technology. The course will be housed on the POST Learning Portal, and thus will provide free instant access to the training to 90,000+ California peace officers and public safety dispatchers in the POST program. Since the training will be conducted online and on the POST Learning Portal, POST training records for those who complete the course will automatically be updated. As with all POST Learning Portal self-paced courses, the training will include a survey upon completion. The survey will be used by POST to evaluate the content and usefulness of the training.

On October 16-18, 2018, POST hosted the first of two scheduled Hate Crimes Guideline update workshops in Garden Grove, California. The work group was comprised of subject matter experts and a diverse group of community representatives, to ensure the update will be contemporary and provide all agencies with an exemplar Hate Crimes Policy in accordance with Penal Code section 422.56 . The final workshop is scheduled for March 12-14, 2019, in Anaheim, California.

Estimated Completion Date: 06/30/2019
Response Date: November 2018

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Partially Implemented

60-Day Agency Response

POST is in the process of updating its model policy guidelines for Hate Crimes. POST will hold two workshops utilizing subject matter experts (SMEs) from across the state to accomplish the objective. POST will hold the first SME workshop from September 19 - 21, 2018, and the second workshop will be held in either January or February 2019. POST anticipates publishing the new model policy guidelines by May 31, 2019.

Estimated Completion Date: 05/31/2019
Response Date: July 2018

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2017-131

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.