Article 2. The California Highway Patrol of California Vehicle Code >> Division 2. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 2.

The California Highway Patrol in the Department of the California Highway Patrol consists of the following members: the commissioner, the deputy commissioner, assistant commissioners, chiefs, assistant chiefs, captains, lieutenants, sergeants, and officers.

(a) The commissioner shall establish special designations of peace officers within the Department of the California Highway Patrol to assist in the transfer of responsibilities from the California State Police Division to the Department of the California Highway Patrol. The peace officers so designated include all peace officers of the former California State Police Division on July 11, 1995. These specially designated peace officers are peace officers as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 830.2 of the Penal Code.
  (b) Peace officers designated in subdivision (a) shall become members of the Department of the California Highway Patrol, as described in Section 2250, by meeting the training requirements and qualifications for those positions as established pursuant to Section 19818.6 of the Government Code or with the approval of the State Personnel Board Executive Officer.
  (c) Individuals granted reemployment or reinstatement on or after July 12, 1995, to peace officer positions formerly within the California State Police Division shall be reinstated to the peace officer designations established by the commissioner pursuant to this section.

All promotions to the classes of deputy chief, assistant chief, captain, lieutenant, and sergeant shall be made from promotional eligible lists resulting from promotional examination of persons in the next lower class.

Such specialized positions as shall be designated by the commissioner with the approval of the Personnel Board shall be filled pursuant to open competitive examinations held pursuant to law.

For the purpose of determining the scope of employment of any member of the California Highway Patrol under the workers' compensation laws, any such member shall be deemed to be on duty and acting within the scope of the person's employment when actually exercising any of the powers or performing any of the duties imposed or authorized by law at any time during the 24 hours of the day.

In the event any dispute arises between the department and any of its members in an industrial disability case, such member or his attorney, upon demand, shall be entitled to examine any record of the department or of the State Compensation Insurance Fund which has any bearing on said case.

No member of the California Highway Patrol, appointed to serve in any county, shall be assigned by the commissioner for service outside the county for a longer period than one week, except:
  (a) Pursuant to a request by the employee for a transfer.
  (b) As may be necessitated by temporary traffic emergencies requiring an increase in the number of patrol members in one locality or seasonal changes making expedient a decrease in the number of patrol members in one locality, but in such latter events no assignment shall be made for disciplinary purposes. An assignment under this section shall be made by the commissioner.

Notwithstanding Section 18932 of the Government Code, the minimum age limit for appointment to the position of entry level peace officer of the Department of the California Highway Patrol, shall be 21 years, and the maximum age limit for examination shall be 35 years.

The commissioner shall issue to each member of the California Highway Patrol a badge of authority with the seal of the State of California in the center thereof, the words "California Highway Patrol" encircling the seal and below the designation of the position held by each member to whom issued.

Neither the commissioner nor any other person shall issue a badge to any person who is not a duly appointed member of the California Highway Patrol.

The Department of the California Highway Patrol shall pay to the member, or his estate, the cost of repairing the uniforms and equipment of the member of the California Highway Patrol which are damaged in the line of duty. If the uniforms or equipment are damaged beyond repair, the department shall pay an amount equal to the actual value thereof at the time the damage occurred, which shall be determined by the commissioner. The term "equipment," as used in this section, shall include equipment required by the department or personal accoutrements necessary for the patrol member to perform his duty.

The commissioner shall make certified bulletproof vests available to members of the California Highway Patrol while engaged in enforcement activities. The commissioner may, at his option, make such equipment available to the remainder of the personnel of the California Highway Patrol. Such equipment shall remain the property of the Department of the California Highway Patrol and shall be returned upon request of the commissioner. No provision of this section shall be construed to require that the commissioner provide one certified bulletproof vest for each member of the California Highway Patrol. It is the intent of this section that a sufficient number of such vests be available for the use of members of the California Highway Patrol while engaged in enforcement activities. Such vests may be passed from one shift to another in the interests of economy.

The commissioner may advance the cost of, or obtain and furnish, one complete uniform, including such items of clothing and equipment as may be required by the commissioner, to each new member of the California Highway Patrol hereafter employed. The cost to the commissioner shall be deducted from the salary of such member in installments within the first year after he has completed the training school.

A uniform substantially similar to the official uniform of members of the California Highway Patrol shall not be worn by any other law enforcement officer or by any other person except duly appointed members of the California Highway Patrol and persons authorized by the commissioner to wear such uniform in connection with a program of entertainment. A uniform shall be deemed substantially similar to the uniform of the California Highway Patrol if it so resembles such official uniform as to cause an ordinary reasonable person to believe that the person wearing the uniform is a member of the California Highway Patrol.

The commissioner shall establish a school for the training and education of the members of the California Highway Patrol, and for such other employees of the department deemed necessary, in traffic regulation, in the performance of the duties of such persons, and in the proper enforcement of this code and laws respecting use of the highways. He may contract with any county, city, district, or other subdivision of the State for the use of school facilities in the training of enforcement officers.

Shooting practice and instruction in the use of firearms shall constitute part of the training to be given to members of the California Highway Patrol. Firearm training may be given in connection with the school or otherwise and may include participation by patrol members in shooting competition.

The commissioner may procure and issue appropriate badges to patrol members for excellence in marksmanship.

The Department of the California Highway Patrol shall not assess against any member of the department the cost of replacing any article of uniform clothing or accessories which employees are required to wear when the replacement is necessary as a result of a change in uniform regulations by the department after the effective date of this section.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
  (1) The public safety dispatchers and public safety operators of the Department of the California Highway Patrol are among the lowest paid when compared to operators employed by other law enforcement agencies in the state. The department's communication centers suffer from significant staff shortages and high turnover rates. Increasing the wages paid to these public safety dispatchers and public safety operators will increase their professionalism while reducing their rate of turnover.
  (2) The recruitment and retention problem is especially evident in the classifications of Public Safety Dispatcher and Public Safety Operator.
  (3) In order for the state to recruit and retain the highest qualified and capable public safety dispatchers and public safety operators, those employees should be compensated in an amount equal to the estimated average total compensation for the classifications corresponding to Public Safety Dispatcher and Public Safety Operator within the police departments in the Cities of Los Angeles, Oakland, San Diego, and San Jose and the City and County of San Francisco.
  (4) This section is not in violation of the Ralph C. Dills Act (Chapter 10.3 (commencing with Section 3512) of Division 4 of Title 1 of the Government Code), which requires that changes for salaries and benefits be collectively bargained between representatives of the state and the employee's union. This section does not circumvent that process. This section simply authorizes the Department of Human Resources, when determining compensation for public safety dispatchers and public safety operators in the Department of the California Highway Patrol, to consider the total compensation for public safety dispatchers and public safety operators in other jurisdictions.
  (b) When determining compensation for public safety dispatchers and public safety operators in the Department of the California Highway Patrol, the Department of Human Resources may consider the total compensation for public safety dispatchers and public safety operators in comparable positions in the police departments specified in paragraph (3) of subdivision (a).

(a) No person shall be appointed as a member of the California Highway Patrol who is not a citizen of the United States.
  (b) A member of the patrol appointed prior to the effective date of this act who is not a United States citizen shall become a United States citizen at the earliest possible time. Inability or failure to comply with this subdivision shall result in termination of employment.

(a) Any member of the Department of the California Highway Patrol, as specified in Sections 2250 and 2250.1, shall be capable of fulfilling the complete range of official duties administered by the commissioner pursuant to Section 2400 and other critical duties that may be necessary for the preservation of life and property. Members of the California Highway Patrol shall not be assigned to permanent limited duty positions which do not require the ability to perform these duties.
  (b) Subdivision (a) does not apply to any member of the California Highway Patrol who, after sustaining serious job-related physical injuries, returned to duty with the California Highway Patrol and who received a written commitment from the appointing power allowing his or her continued employment as a member of the California Highway Patrol. This subdivision applies only to commitments made prior to January 1, 1984.
  (c) Nothing in subdivision (a) entitles a member of the California Highway Patrol to, or precludes a member from receiving, an industrial disability retirement.

(a) The commissioner shall provide, as safety equipment, boots to each member of the California Highway Patrol who is assigned to ride motorcycles. This safety equipment shall remain the property of the state. Items lost or damaged because of the negligence of the officer shall be replaced by the officer at his or her expense.
  (b) The commissioner shall pay the cost of aviation boots to each member of the California Highway Patrol who is assigned to aircraft operations and shall make aviation boots directly available for purchase by those members.