PRINTER'S NO. 1204
No. 96 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY ROBERTS, DALEY, COY, PETRARCA, DALLY AND
TANGRETTI, APRIL 2, 1997
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, APRIL 2, 1997
A RESOLUTION
1 Opposing the imposition of charges for Pennsylvania State Police
2 services on municipalities with populations in excess of
3 9,000 persons.
4 WHEREAS, The Governor in his proposed budget for 1997-1998
5 proposes to charge municipalities in excess of 9,000 population
6 and without a local police force for Pennsylvania State Police
7 services; and
8 WHEREAS, Pennsylvania State Police services of varying kind
9 and intensity such as traffic control, criminal investigation
10 and undercover investigation are provided to all municipalities
11 within this Commonwealth regardless of size or presence of a
12 local police force; and
13 WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania State Police do not enforce in any
14 municipality local ordinances as would a local police force; and
15 WHEREAS, There is no State law mandating that local
16 municipalities provide for police services; and
17 WHEREAS, Certain high-crime areas within municipalities
18 having local police forces may consume more Pennsylvania State
1 Police resources than low-crime areas without local police
2 forces; and
3 WHEREAS, The Governor's proposal to charge only some
4 municipalities for Pennsylvania State Police services is
5 discriminatory and unconstitutional and will place an onerous
6 burden of additional property taxation on homeowners and
7 businesses in those municipalities; therefore be it
8 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives oppose this
9 proposal by the Governor and urge him to propose a strictly
10 voluntary program of technical assistance and financial
11 incentives to encourage municipalities without local police
12 forces to form their own forces or enter into regional
13 arrangements for police services and for such program to provide
14 resources significantly beyond those currently available; and be
15 it further
16 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives oppose
17 legislation that would mandate the provision of local police
18 services by municipalities as an unfunded mandate because such
19 legislation would intrude into the local domain of citizens and
20 their local elected officials.
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