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MEMORANDUM

TO: HONORABLE MARY NICHOLS,

CHAIR, CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD

FROM: JOHN LOVELL

CALIFORNIA NARCOTIC OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
CALIFORNIA PEACE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
CALIFORNIA POLICE CHIEFS ASSOCIATION

DATE: FEBRUARY 24, 2010

The California Narcotic Officers Association represents 8000 law enforcement professionals who are
charged with enforcement of California’s controlled substance laws. It’s dangerous work – over 80
names on the Peace Officer Memorial Wall are CNOA members, including two past CNOA presidents.

The California Peace Officers’ Association represents the totality of the profession: Their members
include sheriffs, police chiefs, command staff at all jurisdictional levels as well as rank and file officers.

The California Police Chiefs Association is the primary provider of front-line law enforcement in
California, with over 78% of Californians being protected by members of the Association.

All three organizations have grave concerns about the CARB proposed “cool cars” regulations. All three
organizations believe that the regulations have the potential to virtually vitiate the effectiveness of GPS
monitoring. Those issues reach critical mass when measured against the inevitable reality that GPS use
will have to increase in order to monitor felons who can no longer be incarcerated due to institutional
overcrowding. Even when tested under the most favorable circumstances in urban areas, “cool car”
technology resulted in a doubling of dropped GPS signals. Those problems would only be exacerbated in
rural areas or in foothill and mountain areas. Even at its best, GPS monitoring is an imperfect tool and
horrific crimes have taken place in the time that a GPS signal is dropped. The “cool car” technology
threatens to undermine an already imperfect monitoring tool.

Further, the “cool car” technology can also diminish the utility of cellular phones, which will inevitably
have the unintended consequence of preventing a crime victim from seeking assistance.

John Lovell
Government Relations Manager
1127 11th Street, Suite 523
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 447-3820 / (916) 441-1974 Fax
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At a time when the public safety of California communities is being challenged as never before, the
crippling of important GPS monitoring and the utility of cellular phones to seek emergency assistance is
not helpful. The California Narcotic Officers Association, California Peace Officers Association and the
California Police Chiefs Association respectfully urge an immediate reassessment of “cool car”
technology from the perspective of public safety. All three organizations stand ready to work the
California Air Resources Board in connection with this critical issue.

John Lovell
Government Relations Manager
1127 11th Street, Suite 523
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 447-3820 / (916) 441-1974 Fax