PRINTER'S NO. 1358
No. 1204 Session of 1995
INTRODUCED BY L. I. COHEN, CLARK, FARGO, BELARDI, LaGROTTA,
HENNESSEY, YOUNGBLOOD, GLADECK, CORNELL, SAYLOR, TRELLO,
SERAFINI AND PISTELLA, MARCH 16, 1995
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 16, 1995
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2 act relating to the public school system, including certain
3 provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4 schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5 laws relating thereto," providing for a school crime line for
6 the reporting of crimes.
7 The General Assembly finds as follows:
8 (1) That research indicates that Crime Stoppers, a joint
9 media, community and law enforcement alliance to involve
10 private citizens in fighting serious crime, has been
11 successful in motivating citizen reports leading to the
12 arrest and conviction of individuals committing serious
13 crimes.
14 (2) That criminal activities in schools, particularly
15 violent crimes, have increased to alarming proportions in
16 recent years.
17 (3) That a safe and calm school environment is crucial
18 to the learning process.
19 (4) That although many young people recognize their
1 civic responsibility for reporting crime to authorities,
2 apathy and fear of retaliation or ostracism by their peers
3 may influence many young people to keep silent.
4 (5) That student involvement in preventing and
5 alleviating school crime must address the concerns of those
6 who are silenced by fear.
7 (6) That for these reasons, a confidential, anonymous
8 system providing inducements for students to report serious
9 crimes occurring in school buildings or on school grounds
10 would provide a mechanism for motivating student involvement
11 in reducing violent and other serious school crime.
12 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
13 hereby enacts as follows:
14 Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
15 as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a
16 section to read:
17 Section 113. Reporting of Crime in Schools.--(a) In order
18 to reduce crime and violence within the school districts of this
19 Commonwealth, any board of school directors may develop a school
20 crime line program as a joint, self-sustaining, cooperative
21 alliance with news media, the community and law enforcement
22 authorities, to receive, screen and to reward student reports of
23 unlawful acts committed in school buildings or on school grounds
24 or at school functions when these reports lead to arrests or
25 recovery of contraband or stolen property. Police or other law
26 enforcement personnel shall staff every school crime line
27 program, receive reported information from anonymous student
28 callers, screen this information, and direct information for
29 further investigation, as may be appropriate.
30 (b) These programs may be established as follows:
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1 (1) By a school district as a joint, self-sustaining,
2 cooperative alliance with news media, the community and law
3 enforcement authorities.
4 (2) Through a separate nonprofit corporation initiated
5 jointly by the board of school directors, news media, the
6 community and law enforcement authorities and governed by a
7 board of directors.
8 (3) As part of a local "Crime Stoppers" program.
9 (c) The governing board of any separate nonprofit school
10 crime line corporation, as authorized under subsection (b)(2),
11 shall include broad-based community representation and shall,
12 through its bylaws, set the policy, coordinate fund raising and
13 formulate a system of rewards. Prior to implementation of any
14 school crime line program and annually thereafter, the board of
15 school directors shall review and approve, as complying with the
16 department's regulations for implementation of school crime
17 lines, its regulations or the bylaws of any nonprofit school
18 crime line corporation or the bylaws of any nonprofit "Crime
19 Stoppers" corporation operating a school crime line. No school
20 crime line program shall be implemented or revised without first
21 obtaining the school district's approval. Every school district
22 developing a school crime line program shall also notify all
23 students and their parents or other custodians of the procedures
24 and policies governing the program prior to implementation and
25 annually thereafter.
26 (d) The Department of Education shall in the manner provided
27 by law promulgate regulations for the implementation of school
28 crime lines, including, but not limited to, appropriate fund
29 raising and the appropriateness of and limitations on rewards.
30 In developing these guidelines, the department shall, in
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1 consultation with the Office of Attorney General, address issues
2 relating to civil rights, privacy and any other question of law,
3 including the civic duty to report crime without compensation.
4 These regulations shall however provide for monetary rewards,
5 payable to children, of from one dollar ($1) to one hundred
6 dollars ($100) for information leading to the identification of
7 perpetrators of crimes as described in this section.
8 (e) School districts may establish, as a separate account, a
9 school crime line fund, consisting of private contributions,
10 local appropriations specifically designated for such purposes,
11 and such funds as may be appropriated for this purpose by the
12 Commonwealth. No State or local funds appropriated for
13 educational purposes shall be used to implement a school crime
14 line.
15 (f) As used in this section, "school crime line" means a
16 confidential, anonymous system providing inducements for
17 students to report any unlawful act occurring in school
18 buildings or on school grounds or during school-sponsored
19 activities to local law enforcement authorities which is
20 established as a cooperative alliance between the local school
21 board, news media, the community and law enforcement officials
22 or through a separate, nonprofit corporation governed by a board
23 of directors or as part of a local "Crime Stoppers" program.
24 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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