PRINTER'S NO. 356
No. 312 Session of 1983
INTRODUCED BY HOEFFEL AND PICCOLA, MARCH 14, 1983
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, MARCH 14, 1983
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of November 22, 1978 (P.L.1166, No.274),
2 entitled "An act establishing the Pennsylvania Commission on
3 Crime and Delinquency, providing for its powers and duties
4 establishing several advisory committees within the
5 commission and providing for their powers and duties,"
6 authorizing a crime prevention program; providing for
7 technical and financial assistance to law enforcement
8 agencies; and making an appropriation.
9 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
10 hereby enacts as follows:
11 Section 1. The preamble of the act of November 22, 1978
12 (P.L.1166, No.274), referred to as the Pennsylvania Commission
13 on Crime and Delinquency Law, is amended to read:
14 The General Assembly finds and declares that:
15 (a) crime and delinquency are essentially State and local
16 problems;
17 (b) crime and delinquency are complex social phenomena
18 requiring the attention and efforts of the criminal justice
19 system, State and local governments, and private citizens alike;
20 (c) the establishment of appropriate goals, objectives and
1 standards for the reduction of crime and delinquency and for the
2 administration of justice must be a priority concern;
3 (d) the functions of the criminal justice system must be
4 coordinated more efficiently and effectively;
5 (e) the full and effective use of resources affecting State
6 and local criminal justice systems requires the complete
7 cooperation of State and local government agencies; [and]
8 (f) training, research, evaluation, technical assistance and
9 public education activities must be encouraged and focused on
10 the improvement of the criminal justice system and the
11 generation of new methods for the prevention and reduction of
12 crime and delinquency[.];
13 (g) the efforts of police to combat the incidence of crime
14 are enhanced substantially when communities take steps to reduce
15 the opportunity for crime through effective police leadership in
16 crime prevention planning, public education and the responsible
17 organization of community resources; and
18 (h) it is in the public interest for the Commonwealth to
19 establish a central crime prevention program to provide
20 leadership and technical and financial assistance to police
21 agencies to develop and maintain community crime prevention
22 initiatives.
23 Section 2. Section 1 of the act is amended by adding
24 definitions to read:
25 Section 1. Definitions.
26 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
27 have, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the
28 meanings given to them in this section:
29 * * *
30 "Crime prevention." The elimination or reduction of the
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1 opportunity for criminal activity through the initiatives of
2 agencies of local and State government undertaken in cooperation
3 with members of the public.
4 "Local law enforcement agency." A police department created
5 by a municipality pursuant to statute.
6 "State law enforcement agency." The Pennsylvania State
7 Police.
8 Section 3. The act is amended by adding sections to read:
9 Section 3.1. Duties of the commission relative to crime
10 prevention.
11 The commission shall have the power and its duty shall be:
12 (1) To develop Statewide strategies to implement crime
13 prevention programs at the State and local level.
14 (2) To review State agency plans to ensure the
15 coordination of the delivery of crime prevention services.
16 (3) To develop, coordinate and administer basic and
17 specialized crime prevention related training programs for
18 State and local law enforcement agency personnel on current
19 issues and techniques in the field of crime prevention.
20 (4) To provide leadership and on-site technical
21 assistance services to State agencies and local law
22 enforcement agencies in developing and implementing crime
23 prevention programs.
24 (5) To design, develop and make available to State
25 agencies and local law enforcement agencies the current
26 literature, publications and basic tools appropriate for the
27 effective implementation of crime prevention programs.
28 (6) To promote the involvement of community
29 organizations in the development and implementation of crime
30 prevention programs.
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1 (7) To submit, on a biennial basis, a report to the
2 Governor and the General Assembly concerning the status of
3 crime prevention programs throughout the State.
4 Section 3.2. Crime prevention financial assistance.
5 (a) Applications.--The commission shall solicit and receive
6 applications from local law enforcement agencies for financial
7 assistance to implement crime prevention programs and allocate
8 State funds to such applicants in accordance with the provisions
9 of applicable statutes and regulations.
10 (b) State Police applications.--The Pennsylvania State
11 Police may apply for and receive financial assistance under the
12 provisions of this section for the implementation of crime
13 prevention programs in:
14 (1) an area of the Commonwealth for which the State
15 Police serves as the principal law enforcement agency; or
16 (2) a municipality for which the chief of the local law
17 enforcement agency has made a written request to the State
18 Police to provide the principal coverage for crime prevention
19 services.
20 (c) Assurances and plan.--An application for financial
21 assistance under the provisions of this section shall contain
22 assurances that the applicant will submit semi-annual reports on
23 the progress of its crime prevention activities and will comply
24 with such other requirements that the commission may reasonably
25 adopt. The application shall also include a crime prevention
26 services plan containing, as a minimum, all of the following
27 elements:
28 (1) A description of the types of crime prevention
29 activities proposed to be conducted by the applicant and a
30 specification of the nature and extent of the direct
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1 participation of community organizations in the proposed
2 activities.
3 (2) A description of the nature and extent of
4 participation by persons representing the business community
5 in the proposed activities and a specification of those
6 proposed activities which are intended to have an impact upon
7 those crimes affecting the local business community.
8 (3) A specific identification of the nature and types of
9 crimes upon which the proposed activities are intended to
10 impact and the level of impact the activities are projected
11 to achieve.
12 (4) A description of the geographic area within which
13 the proposed activities will be primarily conducted.
14 (d) Approval of application.--The commission may not approve
15 an application for financial assistance under this section
16 unless:
17 (1) the application has been duly authorized and
18 approved in writing by the chief executive officer of the
19 municipality served by a local law enforcement agency
20 applicant or by the Commissioner of the State Police in the
21 case of a State law enforcement agency application; and
22 (2) the application has been reviewed and commented upon
23 by an advisory committee composed of not less than ten
24 residents of the municipality to be served under the
25 application. The advisory committee referred to in this
26 paragraph shall be appointed by the chief executive officer
27 of the municipality served by a local law enforcement agency
28 applicant or by the Commanding Officer of the State Police
29 installation for the jurisdiction to be served in the case of
30 a State law enforcement agency application and shall be
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1 fairly representative of the interests of residents and
2 business in the municipality.
3 (e) Allocation of funds.--The commission shall make
4 available not less than 80% of the State funds appropriated
5 annually for the administration of this section for financial
6 assistance to State and local law enforcement agencies for the
7 payment of up to 50% of the salaries of employees of such
8 agencies, but not fringe benefits, overtime compensation or
9 bonuses, for a period not to exceed two years, provided such
10 employees:
11 (1) are assigned responsibility on a full-time basis for
12 developing and implementing crime prevention programs as
13 defined in this section in cooperation with community
14 residents and businessmen; and
15 (2) have satisfactorily completed courses of instruction
16 required by the commission and have been certified by the
17 commission as crime prevention program specialists.
18 (f) Commission use of funds.--The commission may retain the
19 balance of the State funds appropriated annually for the
20 administration of this section for the following purposes:
21 (1) To pay the costs of the commission's crime
22 prevention training programs.
23 (2) To underwrite the commission's procurement and
24 distribution of crime prevention related training materials
25 and technical equipment to State and local law enforcement
26 agencies, but the commission may require each such agency to
27 pay up to 50% of the cost of materials and equipment
28 furnished to it at its request.
29 (g) Grant administration.--Grants of financial assistance
30 made under this section shall be subject to the provisions of
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1 section 3(4) and (5).
2 Section 4. The sum of $600,000, or as much thereof as may be
3 necessary, is hereby specifically appropriated to the
4 Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, for the fiscal
5 year July 1, 1983 to June 30, 1984, to carry out the provisions
6 of this act.
7 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 1983.
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