Chapter 2.5. California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System of California Government Code >> Division 3. >> Title 2. >> Part 6. >> Chapter 2.5.

(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that the Department of Justice shall commence to operate under this chapter as soon as feasible, but until such time, the department shall continue to operate under Article 8 (commencing with Section 13240) of Chapter 2, Part 3, Division 3, Title 2 of this code, and Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 15100) of this part. Accordingly, the department shall not discontinue service to any connection point to which it is required to furnish services at state expense until it has made the determination, has given notice, and the notice period has elapsed, as provided in subdivision (b).
  (b) At such time as the Attorney General concludes that he can furnish service to one location in any county in compliance with the requirements of Section 15161, he shall so certify and shall send notice of such certification to each agency in the county connected with the state system. Thirty days after the sending of such notice, service to any connection point in the county other than the one location selected pursuant to Section 15161 shall no longer be at state expense.

The maintenance of law and order is, and always has been, a primary function of government and is so recognized in both Federal and State Constitutions. The state has an unmistakable responsibility to give full support to all public agencies of law enforcement. This responsibility includes the provision of an efficient law enforcement communications network available to all such agencies. It is the intent of the Legislature that such a network be established and maintained in a condition adequate to the needs of law enforcement. It is the purpose of this chapter to establish a law enforcement telecommunications system for the State of California.

The Department of Justice shall maintain a statewide telecommunications system of communication for the use of law enforcement agencies.

The system shall be under the direction of the Attorney General, and shall be used exclusively for the official business of the state, and the official business of any city, county, city and county, or other public agency.

The Attorney General shall appoint an advisory committee on the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System, hereinafter referred to as the committee, to advise and assist him in the management of the system with respect to operating policies, service evaluation, and system discipline. The committee shall serve at the pleasure of the Attorney General without compensation except for reimbursement of necessary travel expenses. Before requesting vendor proposals to implement the system, the committee shall prepare detailed technical system specifications defining all communications--handling parameters and making explicit in sufficient depth the goals of the system.

The committee shall consist of representatives from the following organizations:
  (a) Two representatives from the California Peace Officers' Association.
  (b) One representative from the California State Sheriffs' Association.
  (c) One representative from the League of California Cities.
  (d) One representative from the County Supervisors Association of California.
  (e) One representative from the Department of Justice.
  (f) One representative from the Department of Motor Vehicles.
  (g) One representative from the Office of Emergency Services.
  (h) One representative from the Department of the California Highway Patrol.
  (i) One representative from the California Police Chiefs Association.

The Department of Justice shall provide an executive secretary to the committee.

The committee shall elect a chairman for a term to be determined by the committee.

The committee shall meet at least twice each year at a time and place to be determined by the Attorney General and the chairman. Special meetings may be called by the Attorney General or the chairman by giving at least 14 days' notice to the members.

All meetings of the committee and all hearings held by the committee shall be open to the public.

The Attorney General shall, upon the advice of the committee, adopt and publish for distribution to the system subscribers and other interested parties the operating policies, practices and procedures, and conditions of qualification for membership.

The Department of Justice shall provide a basic telecommunications communications network consisting of no more than two relay or switching centers in the state and circuitry and terminal equipment in one location only in each county in the state. The system shall be consistent with the functional specifications contained in pages 75 to 79 of the Report of the Assembly Interim Committee on Ways and Means, Volume 21, Number 9, 1963-1965. These functional specifications summarize the needs of the peace officers for present purposes, but do not constitute technical specifications addressed to prospective suppliers of equipment and procedures.

The system may connect and exchange traffic with compatible systems of adjacent states and otherwise participate in interstate operations.

The system shall provide service to any law enforcement agency qualified by the committee which, at its own expense, desires connection through the county terminal.

The system shall be maintained at all times with equipment and facilities adequate to the needs of law enforcement. The committee shall recommend to the Attorney General any improvements of the system to meet the future requirements of the subscribers and to take advantage of advancements made in the science of telecommunications communications. The system shall be designed to accommodate present and future data processing equipment.

(a) The person designated as a county's "control agent" as defined by the policies, practices, and procedures adopted pursuant to Section 15160, or the chief officer of any other agency that has been granted direct access to the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System under the provisions of this chapter, shall have sole and exclusive authority to ensure that the county's or other agency's equipment connecting to the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System complies with all security requirements that are conditions of access to the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System under the provisions of this chapter, or the policies, practices, and procedures adopted pursuant to Section 15160, and that the equipment complies with the county control agent' s security policy. This authority shall include, but not be limited to, locating, managing, maintaining, and providing security for all of the county's or other agency's equipment that connects to, and exchanges data, video, or voice information with, the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System under the provisions of this chapter, including, but not limited to, telecommunications transmission circuits, networking devices, computers, data bases, and servers.
  (b) A control agent or chief officer may not exercise the authority granted in subdivision (a) in a manner that conflicts with any other provision of this chapter, or with the policies, practices, and procedures adopted pursuant to Section 15160.

Any subscriber to the system shall file with the Attorney General an agreement to conform to the operating policies, practices and procedures approved by the committee under penalty of suspension of service or other appropriate discipline by the committee.

The Director of General Services shall fix the charge to be paid by any state department, officer, board or commission to the Department of Justice.

In the case of a state agency, the charge shall be paid from the money available by law for the support of the state agency using the system.