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                                                      PRINTER'S NO. 3334

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 2219 Session of 2008


        INTRODUCED BY MARSHALL, PYLE, ARGALL, BELFANTI, BOYD, CAPPELLI,
           CAUSER, FAIRCHILD, GODSHALL, GRELL, HELM, HENNESSEY, MAHONEY,
           MANN, MENSCH, O'NEILL, PETRONE, READSHAW, REICHLEY, SIPTROTH,
           STERN, SWANGER, THOMAS, WALKO AND MOYER, MARCH 10, 2008

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, MARCH 10, 2008

                                     AN ACT

     1  Establishing a grant program for law enforcement drug and
     2     violence task forces; and providing for the powers and duties
     3     of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

     4     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     5  hereby enacts as follows:
     6  Section 1.  Short title.
     7     This act shall be known and may be cited as the Law
     8  Enforcement Drug and Violence Task Forces Act.
     9  Section 2.  Definitions.
    10     The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
    11  have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
    12  context clearly indicates otherwise:
    13     "Commission."  The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and
    14  Delinquency.
    15     "Law enforcement drug and violence task force" or "task
    16  force."  A portion of a law enforcement agency or police
    17  department that is dedicated to the purpose set forth in section


     1  3(a).
     2     "Program."  The Law Enforcement Drug and Violence Task Force
     3  Grant Program established under section 4.
     4  Section 3.  Law enforcement drug and violence task force.
     5     (a)  Purpose.--A law enforcement drug and violence task force
     6  shall have as its purpose a comprehensive crime-fighting effort
     7  in a designated geographical area to remove violent felons,
     8  illegal drugs, illegal firearms and other criminal activity and
     9  to improve the quality of life for residents of the geographical
    10  area.
    11     (b)  Operation of task force.--A law enforcement drug and
    12  violence task force shall be assigned and deployed as a specific
    13  unit within a police department to address in a coordinated
    14  fashion the problems in a designated high-crime geographical
    15  area in order to clear that area of illegal drugs, illegal
    16  firearms and other criminal activity. The task force shall focus
    17  its operation on high-crime days and during high-crime times of
    18  the day or night.
    19     (c)  Quality of life.--In addition to making arrests for
    20  criminal activity, a task force shall address quality of life
    21  issues by reporting to appropriate authorities or correcting on
    22  its own situations or conditions that contribute to criminal
    23  activity, including, but not limited to, abandoned buildings and
    24  vehicles, broken windows and doors, vacant and trash-strewn
    25  properties and broken street lights.
    26     (d)  Length of time of operation.--A task force may target a
    27  designated geographical area within a political subdivision for
    28  a specific length of time and then redeploy to another
    29  designated high-crime area within the political subdivision.
    30  Section 4.  Powers and duties of commission.
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     1     (a)  Program established.--The Law Enforcement Drug and
     2  Violence Task Force Grant Program is hereby established. The
     3  commission shall administer the program and shall develop an
     4  application procedure for the program. Multiple political
     5  subdivisions may apply jointly for a grant and jointly establish
     6  and operate one or more task forces.
     7     (b)  Grants.--
     8         (1)  The commission shall award grants to political
     9     subdivisions that apply to the commission for funds to assist
    10     in establishing and operating task forces.
    11         (2)  The commission shall base the number of grants on
    12     the amount of funds appropriated by the Federal or State
    13     Government and other funds available for the purposes of this
    14     act.
    15         (3)  The amount of a specific grant shall be based on
    16     information required by the commission and provided by the
    17     political subdivision specifying the costs directly related
    18     to establishing and maintaining a task force.
    19     (c)  Use of grants.--
    20         (1)  A political subdivision may use a grant awarded
    21     under this act for equipment and supplies, personnel and
    22     training and any other costs directly related to establishing
    23     and operating a task force.
    24         (2)  A task force must be established as a separate unit
    25     within a police department.
    26     (d)  Monitoring and reporting.--
    27         (1)  The commission shall monitor a political
    28     subdivision's use of any grants awarded under this act and
    29     may require an accounting of the use of the funds.
    30         (2)  The commission shall annually report to the
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     1     Judiciary Committee of the Senate and the Judiciary Committee
     2     of the House of Representatives on the program. The report
     3     shall include the number and the amount of the grants
     4     awarded, the political subdivisions receiving the grants and
     5     any other relevant information.
     6  Section 5.  Effective date.
     7     This act shall take effect in 60 days.
















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