Chapter 4. Data Collection of California Penal Code >> Title 5. >> Part 4. >> Chapter 4.

(a) Each law enforcement agency shall develop a system, by January 1, 1986, for recording all domestic violence-related calls for assistance made to the department including whether weapons are involved. All domestic violence-related calls for assistance shall be supported with a written incident report, as described in subdivision (c), identifying the domestic violence incident. Monthly, the total number of domestic violence calls received and the numbers of those cases involving weapons shall be compiled by each law enforcement agency and submitted to the Attorney General.
  (b) The Attorney General shall report annually to the Governor, the Legislature, and the public the total number of domestic violence-related calls received by California law enforcement agencies, the number of cases involving weapons, and a breakdown of calls received by agency, city, and county.
  (c) Each law enforcement agency shall develop an incident report form that includes a domestic violence identification code by January 1, 1986. In all incidents of domestic violence, a report shall be written and shall be identified on the face of the report as a domestic violence incident. The report shall include at least all of the following:
  (1) A notation of whether the officer or officers who responded to the domestic violence call observed any signs that the alleged abuser was under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance.
  (2) A notation of whether the officer or officers who responded to the domestic violence call determined if any law enforcement agency had previously responded to a domestic violence call at the same address involving the same alleged abuser or victim.
  (3) A notation of whether the officer or officers who responded to the domestic violence call found it necessary, for the protection of the peace officer or other persons present, to inquire of the victim, the alleged abuser, or both, whether a firearm or other deadly weapon was present at the location, and, if there is an inquiry, whether that inquiry disclosed the presence of a firearm or other deadly weapon. Any firearm or other deadly weapon discovered by an officer at the scene of a domestic violence incident shall be subject to confiscation pursuant to Division 4 (commencing with Section 18250) of Title 2 of Part 6.

(a) The San Diego Association of Governments may serve as the regional clearinghouse for criminal justice data involving domestic violence. The association may obtain monthly crime statistics from all law enforcement agencies in San Diego County. These law enforcement agencies may include their domestic violence supplements in the monthly crime reports that are supplied to the association. The association may obtain client-based data regarding clients or victims of domestic violence who seek protection in San Diego County shelters.
  (b) Contingent upon the appropriation of funds therefor, the association shall do all of the following:
  (1) Create a standardized, uniform intake form, to be referred to as a Compilation of Research and Evaluation Intake Instrument, also known as C.O.R.E., for use in San Diego County's domestic violence shelters. This form shall be completed and ready to use in the field for data collection purposes not later than March 31, 1997. The C.O.R.E. intake form shall be standardized to compile the same information from all clients for all shelters.
  (2) Collect and analyze the standardized, uniform intake form in order to compile information including, but not limited to, victim sociodemographic characteristics, descriptions of domestic violence incidents pertaining to each victim and services needed by domestic violence shelter clients within San Diego County.
  (3) Use the collected client-based data to describe the nature and scope of violence from the perspective of domestic violence shelter clients and to determine the service needs of clients and what gaps in service delivery exist, so that resources can be appropriately targeted and allocated. All data supplied to the association shall be stripped of any information regarding the personal identity of an individual to protect the privacy of domestic violence shelter clients.
  (4) Establish an advisory committee in order to facilitate the research effort and to assess the value of the research project. The advisory committee shall consist of representation from the shelters, as well as members of the San Diego County Domestic Violence Council, local justice administrators, and the principal investigator. The advisory committee shall meet at least four times before April 30, 1999, to review the progress of the research, including research methodology, data collection instruments, preliminary analyses, and work product as they are drafted. Advisory committee members shall evaluate the final research product in terms of applicability and utility of findings and recommendations.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares that a substantial body of research demonstrates a strong connection between domestic violence and child abuse. However, despite this connection, child abuse and domestic violence services and agencies often fail to coordinate appropriately at the local level. It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this section to improve preventative and supportive services to families experiencing violence in order to prevent further abuse of children and the victims of domestic violence. It is the further intent of this section that child protective services agencies develop a protocol which clearly sets forth the criteria for a child protective services response to a domestic violence related incident in a home in which a child resides.
  (b) Commencing January 1, 2003, child protective services agencies, law enforcement, prosecution, child abuse and domestic violence experts, and community-based organizations serving abused children and victims of domestic violence shall develop, in collaboration with one another, protocols as to how law enforcement and child welfare agencies will cooperate in their response to incidents of domestic violence in homes in which a child resides. The requirements of this section shall not apply to counties where protocols consistent with this section already have been developed.