PRINTER'S NO. 757
No. 673 Session of 1983
INTRODUCED BY WILLIAMS, BRIGHTBILL, ROCKS, O'PAKE, ROMANELLI,
PECORA, BELL, ANDREZESKI, LLOYD AND FUMO, APRIL 26, 1983
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, APRIL 26, 1983
AN ACT
1 Creating the State Board of Organized Anticrime Community
2 Network Assistance; granting powers to the board; providing
3 for grants; imposing duties upon certain public officers and
4 agencies; and making an appropriation.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Short title.
8 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Organized
9 Anticrime Community Network Assistance Act.
10 Section 2. Findings and policy.
11 (a) Findings.--The General Assembly hereby finds and
12 declares that the high incidence of street crime in various
13 sections of this Commonwealth has reduced the spirit and
14 community pride of our citizens; that crime and the fear of
15 crime has made senior citizens prisoners in their own homes;
16 that crime breeds in the streets and corruption in government
17 when citizens are apathetic toward their community and
18 institutions; that many communities of the Commonwealth are
1 paralyzed, disabled and dominated by incessant, violent street
2 crime; that one of the most effective methods of reducing crime
3 is to involve citizens and the private sector in cooperative
4 anticrime programs with local governments; that the fear of
5 crime is inimical to the development of local businesses; that
6 crime prevention programs instituted by citizens over the past
7 several years have had a measurable effect on reducing crime and
8 improving citizen cooperation with local law enforcement; and
9 that crime prevention programs should be expanded to attack the
10 root cause of crime.
11 (b) Additional findings.--The General Assembly further finds
12 that deeply entrenched street crime has not been alleviated by
13 the efforts of governments to combat crime; and that the most
14 effective vehicle for crime prevention and for restoration of
15 communities to a peaceful state is an alert, organized and
16 committed citizenry.
17 (c) Declaration of policy.--It is therefore the declared
18 policy of the General Assembly to promote, assist and facilitate
19 the efficient channeling of citizen resources in local
20 communities toward alleviating and preventing crime and to
21 facilitate and assist local anticrime network units in
22 identifying and developing local projects which will attack or
23 eliminate crime and the causes of crime.
24 Section 3. Definitions.
25 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
26 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
27 context clearly indicates otherwise:
28 "Board." The State Board of Organized Anticrime Community
29 Network Assistance.
30 "Local anticrime network unit." Any nonprofit private agency
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1 or group established for the purpose of preventing or
2 eliminating crime through crime prevention programs, economic
3 development programs or similar means.
4 Section 4. Establishment of State Board of Organized Anticrime
5 Community Network Assistance.
6 (a) Establishment of board.--There is hereby established in
7 the Office of the Attorney General a board which shall be known
8 as the State Board of Organized Anticrime Community Network
9 Assistance.
10 (b) Members.--The board shall consist of the following
11 members:
12 (1) The Secretary of Community Affairs or a designee of
13 the secretary.
14 (2) The Secretary of Welfare or a designee of the
15 secretary.
16 (3) The Attorney General or a designee of the Attorney
17 General.
18 (4) The Secretary of Commerce or a designee of the
19 secretary.
20 (5) The Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police or
21 the commissioner's designee.
22 (6) Four members of the General Assembly, one of whom
23 shall be designated by, and serve at the pleasure of the
24 President pro tempore of the Senate, one by the minority
25 leader of the Senate, one by the Speaker of the House of
26 Representatives and one by the minority leader of the House
27 of Representatives.
28 (7) Four private citizens appointed by the Governor from
29 lists of names submitted by local anticrime network units.
30 (c) Terms.--Members of the board shall serve a four-year
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1 term and may be appointed for no more than one additional
2 consecutive term. The terms of those members who serve by virtue
3 of the public office they hold shall be concurrent with their
4 service in the office from which they derive their membership.
5 Vacancies shall be filled for the balance of the unexpired term
6 in the same manner as original appointments.
7 (d) Officers.--The board shall elect from among its members
8 a presiding officer and such other officers as it may deem
9 necessary.
10 (e) Quorum.--A majority of the board shall constitute a
11 quorum.
12 (f) Compensation and expenses.--Members who are not holders
13 of public office shall be paid $100 a day for attendance at
14 meetings of the board. Necessary and reasonable expenses
15 incurred by any member of the board shall be allowed and paid
16 upon presentation of itemized vouchers.
17 (g) Personnel.--The board may appoint an executive director
18 and may employ such personnel as may be necessary to carry out
19 the purposes of this act. Employees of the board, other than the
20 executive director, shall be employed in accordance with and
21 subject to the act of August 5, 1941 (P.L.752, No.286), known as
22 the Civil Service Act.
23 (h) Meetings.--Regular meetings of the board shall be held
24 at least once in each calendar month.
25 Section 5. Powers and duties of board.
26 The board shall have the power and its duty shall be:
27 (1) To make policy recommendations regarding alleviation
28 of crime and elimination of the causes of crime to the
29 General Assembly, the Governor and Commonwealth departments,
30 bureaus, commissions and agencies.
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1 (2) To cooperate with and provide consultation services
2 to local anticrime network units.
3 (3) To solicit reports or information from local
4 anticrime network units regarding programs designed to reduce
5 crime.
6 (4) To invite representatives of local anticrime network
7 units to regular board meetings for the purpose of receiving
8 ideas and suggestions.
9 (5) To make grants to local anticrime network units for
10 programs designed to carry out the provisions of this act.
11 (6) To review social, economic and law enforcement plans
12 developed by other State agencies for the purpose of
13 coordinating development and implementation of programs
14 designed in whole or in part to combat crime.
15 (7) To promulgate such rules and regulations as the
16 board deems necessary to properly administer this act.
17 Section 6. Awarding of grants.
18 (a) Grants to local anticrime network units.--The board may
19 make grants to local anticrime network units to carry out
20 programs including:
21 (1) Programs to encourage the participation of industry,
22 business, labor unions and other private enterprises in crime
23 prevention and elimination efforts.
24 (2) The recruiting and training of police-community
25 relations officers, which includes the development of
26 programs of police training and education to sensitize police
27 to the needs of the community.
28 (3) The recruiting and training of community service
29 officers to serve with and assist police departments in the
30 discharge of their duties through such activities as
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1 recruiting police officers, improvement of police community
2 relations and grievance resolution mechanisms.
3 (4) The recruiting, organization and training of citizen
4 preventive patrols for the purpose of patrolling apartment
5 buildings, neighborhoods and schools.
6 (5) The recruiting and training of paid or volunteer
7 police aides, including minority aides and youth aides.
8 (6) The recruiting of minority police officers.
9 (7) Programs to encourage the reporting of crime and the
10 marking and identification of personal property.
11 (8) The establishment of community structures to
12 coordinate all citizen programs.
13 (9) Programs to enhance the delivery of social services
14 into neighborhoods including removal of waste, street
15 cleaning, building inspection, recreational facilities and
16 improved street lighting.
17 (10) Programs to provide volunteer escorts for elderly
18 citizens and other persons requiring assistance to and from
19 their residences in high crime areas.
20 (11) Programs to provide counseling to ex-offenders,
21 narcotics addicts and persons on probation.
22 (12) Programs to improve communications between the
23 community and police departments.
24 (13) Programs to provide alternatives to incarceration
25 (including release to the custody of community programs) for
26 persons convicted of minor or victimless crimes.
27 (14) Programs of citizen crime commissions established
28 for the purpose of combating the influences of organized
29 crime.
30 (15) Programs designed to eliminate or reduce youth
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1 organized violence.
2 (16) Programs providing economic assistance to
3 neighborhoods to foster development of business and industry.
4 (b) Application for grants.--Grants may be made only upon an
5 application to the board which contains:
6 (1) Satisfactory assurances that the applicant will
7 place special emphasis upon programs, which involve
8 disadvantaged persons and minority groups in the criminal
9 justice system.
10 (2) Satisfactory assurances that the applicant will make
11 special efforts to assure that programs established under
12 this act are directed to the geographic areas of the city to
13 be served with the highest incidence of crime.
14 (3) Satisfactory assurances that the applicant has
15 consulted on its application with local public agencies and
16 nonprofit private agencies located in the geographic area of
17 the city to be served and has adopted procedures to
18 coordinate its program with related efforts being made by the
19 other agencies.
20 (4) Satisfactory assurances that maximum use will be
21 made under the program of other Federal, State or local
22 resources available for the provision of services requested
23 under this act.
24 (5) Satisfactory assurances that, in developing
25 programs, the applicant will give public agencies and
26 nonprofit private agencies providing services within the
27 geographic area to be served opportunity to present their
28 views to the applicant with respect to the programs.
29 (6) Satisfactory assurances that the applicant will
30 institute procedures for evaluating the operation of each
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1 program operated by it under this act, including the
2 maintenance of records on the disbursement of funds, and will
3 report in full to the board annually during the period the
4 program is assisted under this act on the functions and
5 services performed by the program, the disbursement of grant
6 funds, and any innovations made to meet the needs of the
7 geographic area where the program is in operation.
8 (7) A statement of the method or methods of linking the
9 resources of public agencies and local anticrime network
10 units providing services relating to the purpose of the grant
11 application.
12 (c) Qualifications of applicant.--To qualify for grants
13 under this act a local anticrime network unit shall either have
14 been in continuous operation for a period of at least one year
15 before the date of application or shall demonstrate by other
16 means that it is likely to continue in existence for a
17 substantial period of time and shall demonstrate that it can
18 satisfactorily administer the program for which a grant is
19 requested. Grants and contracts may be made only upon
20 application to the board, which application contains
21 satisfactory assurances that:
22 (1) The applicant will maintain adequate records on the
23 disbursement of funds under the act which will be made
24 available upon request to the board.
25 (2) The applicant will make available to the entire
26 community that it normally serves and where it is
27 geographically located, on a nondiscriminatory basis, the
28 benefits of any program instituted by it under this act.
29 Section 7. Application for grant.
30 (a) Additional requirements.--In addition to the
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1 requirements for applications set forth in section 6, the board
2 shall require each application for a grant under this act to
3 include:
4 (1) A description of the purpose of the program.
5 (2) A description of the anticipated use of funds under
6 the grant.
7 (3) A description of the geographic area of the
8 community in which the program will be carried out and the
9 incidence of crime in the area.
10 (4) A description of the extent that the program
11 anticipates assistance, financial or otherwise, from
12 departments or agencies of the Federal, State or local
13 governments.
14 (5) A description of the anticipated number of citizens
15 who will participate in the program or be benefited by its
16 operation.
17 (b) Assistance by board.--The board shall provide assistance
18 in filing an application under this act to any applicant
19 requesting assistance.
20 Section 8. Hearing on application denials.
21 The board shall, on the application of any person, agency or
22 group claiming to be aggrieved by the denial of assistance under
23 this act, give the person, agency or group a public hearing to
24 determine if the person, agency or group was so aggrieved. If
25 the board determines if the person, agency or group was so
26 aggrieved, it shall grant, in whole or in part, the assistance
27 with respect to which the hearing was held.
28 Section 9. Restriction or use of funds.
29 Not more than one-third of any grant made under this act
30 shall be used for the lease or rental of any building or space
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1 therein. No part of any grant may be used to purchase buildings
2 or land or for research, except to the extent the research is
3 incidental to the carrying out of programs under this act.
4 Section 10. Technical assistance.
5 The department shall provide technical assistance to local
6 anticrime network units, either directly or through contracts
7 with other State departments or agencies, to enable the units to
8 fully participate in all programs available under this act.
9 Section 11. Amount of grants.
10 (a) General grant.--The board may annually make grants to
11 qualified applicants within a particular legislative district of
12 the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in an amount not
13 exceeding $10,000 per district. If a qualified local anticrime
14 network unit provides services in more than one legislative
15 district, then the maximum amount of a grant for a district
16 shall be increased to $15,000 for each district served by such
17 unit.
18 (b) Special grant.--The board may annually make grants to
19 qualified applicants within a particular legislative district of
20 the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in an amount not
21 exceeding $25,000 for projects which:
22 (1) Involve businesses, institutions and groups within
23 an area designated by the board as having a high incidence of
24 street crime and high unemployment for the purpose of
25 attracting businesses and industry and creating jobs.
26 (2) Involve capital participation by business and
27 industry.
28 (3) Involve high technology enterprises.
29 (4) Invoke creative approaches to reducing crime by
30 stimulating employment.
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1 Section 12. Duties of public officials and agencies.
2 (a) Designation of liaison officer.--Each Commonwealth
3 department, agency, bureau and commission shall designate an
4 anticrime liaison officer who shall be readily available to
5 interface with local anticrime network units and who shall:
6 (1) Determine the needs of the individual network units
7 and determine how the department, agency, bureau or
8 commission can provide assistance in meeting such needs.
9 (2) Suggest to the head of the department, agency,
10 bureau or commission policies which the department, agency,
11 bureau or commission could undertake to enhance citizen
12 participation in anticrime programs and in programs designed
13 to reduce crime.
14 (3) Report to the board at regular intervals on matters
15 relating to preventing, eliminating and reducing crime at the
16 local level.
17 (b) Consulting services.--Every Commonwealth department,
18 agency, bureau and commission concerned in whole or in part with
19 law enforcement and economic development shall make available
20 upon request of any local anticrime network unit consulting
21 services and technical assistance, including, but not limited
22 to, strategy evaluation, financial advice and motivational input
23 to further the purposes of this act.
24 (c) Priority access.--Every chief of police, county police
25 force, sheriff, district attorney, chief protection officer, the
26 Pennsylvania State Police, the Department of Public Welfare and
27 every other person or agency dealing with crimes or criminals
28 shall adopt policies or regulations providing for priority
29 access to such person's or agency's assistance by any local
30 anticrime network unit requesting such assistance.
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1 Section 13. Cooperation among agencies.
2 The board in the administration of this act shall consult and
3 cooperate with any Federal, State or local agency which performs
4 functions related to the purposes of this act.
5 Section 14. Appropriation.
6 The sum of , or as much thereof as may be necessary,
7 is hereby appropriated to the Office of the Attorney General for
8 the fiscal year July 1, 1983 to June 30, 1984 to carry out the
9 purposes of this act.
10 Section 15. Effective date.
11 This act shall take effect immediately.
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