(a) Local law enforcement agencies and state law enforcement agencies with jurisdiction have concurrent jurisdiction to investigate elder and dependent adult abuse and all other crimes against elder victims and victims with disabilities.

(b) Adult protective services agencies and local long-term care ombudsman programs also have jurisdiction within their statutory authority to investigate elder and dependent adult abuse and criminal neglect, and may assist local law enforcement agencies in criminal investigations at the law enforcement agencies’ request, if consistent with federal law; however, law enforcement agencies retain exclusive responsibility for criminal investigations, notwithstanding any law to the contrary.

(c) (1) Every local law enforcement agency shall, when the agency next undertakes the policy revision process, revise or include in the portion of its policy manual relating to elder and dependent adult abuse, if that policy manual exists, the following information:

(A) The elements of the offense specified in subdivision (c) of Section 368.

(B) The elements of the offense specified in subdivision (f) of Section 368.

(C) The requirement, pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b), that law enforcement agencies have the responsibility for criminal investigations of elder and dependent adult abuse and criminal neglect; however, adult protective services agencies and long-term care ombudsman programs have authority to investigate incidents of elder and dependent adult abuse and neglect and may, if requested and consistent with federal law, assist law enforcement agencies with criminal investigations.

(D) As a guideline to investigators and first responders, the definition of elder and dependent adult abuse provided by the Department of Justice in its policy and procedures manual, dated March 2015, which defines elder and dependent adult abuse as “physical abuse, neglect, financial abuse, abandonment, isolation, abduction, or other treatment with resulting physical harm or pain or mental suffering; or the deprivation by a care custodian of goods or services that are necessary to avoid physical harm or mental suffering.”

(2) As used in this subdivision, the following terms have the following meanings:

(A) “Local law enforcement agency” means every municipal police department and county sheriffs’ department.

(B) “Policy manual” means any general orders, patrol manual, duty manual, or other written document or collection of documents that provides field or investigative personnel with policies, procedures, or guidelines for responding to or investigating crimes, complaints, or incidents.

(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 641, Sec. 2. (SB 338) Effective January 1, 2020.)