PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 536 PRINTER'S NO. 612
No. 542 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY GREENLEAF, WASHINGTON, RAFFERTY, COSTA, BOSCOLA,
STACK, RHOADES, O'PAKE, GORDNER, ERICKSON, TOMLINSON, MUSTO,
FONTANA, TARTAGLIONE AND KITCHEN, MARCH 15, 2007
SENATOR GREENLEAF, JUDICIARY, AS AMENDED, MARCH 20, 2007
AN ACT
1 Establishing multijurisdictional law enforcement drug task <--
2 forces; and providing for the powers and duties of the
3 Pennsylvania State Police.
4 ESTABLISHING A GRANT PROGRAM FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT DRUG AND <--
5 VIOLENCE TASK FORCES; AND PROVIDING FOR THE POWERS AND DUTIES
6 OF THE PENNSYLVANIA COMMISSION ON CRIME AND DELINQUENCY.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. Short title. <--
10 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Drug Task
11 Forces Act.
12 Section 2. Drug task forces established.
13 (a) Purposes.--The Pennsylvania State Police shall establish
14 multijurisdictional law enforcement drug task forces with the
15 following purposes:
16 (1) Preventing the entry of illegal drugs into and
17 preventing the movement of illegal drugs from place to place
18 in Pennsylvania.
19 (2) Removing violent felons, illegal firearms, including
1 straw purchases, and illegal drugs from designated target
2 urban neighborhoods.
3 (b) Powers and duties.--The task force shall:
4 (1) Conduct investigations focused on preventing the:
5 (i) Entry of drugs into Pennsylvania through
6 seaports, airports, train and bus stations, highways and
7 other points of entry.
8 (ii) Movement of illegal drugs from place to place
9 in Pennsylvania, including, but not limited to, the use
10 of the interstate highway system to transport the illegal
11 drugs.
12 (2) Work with the United States Postal Service and
13 private parcel post companies to prevent the shipment of
14 illegal drugs into and the movement of illegal drugs from
15 place to place in Pennsylvania.
16 (3) Designate target urban neighborhoods for a
17 comprehensive crime-fighting program to remove violent
18 felons, illegal firearms and illegal drugs that includes
19 intelligence gathering, arrests and highly visible saturation
20 patrols.
21 (4) Assist other law enforcement agencies in the
22 prosecution of crimes uncovered through investigations
23 conducted by the task forces.
24 Section 3. Drug task force membership.
25 The Pennsylvania State Police shall enter into agreements
26 with the Office of Attorney General and other law enforcement
27 agencies both within and without Pennsylvania, to serve on the
28 task forces and to cooperate with the Pennsylvania State Police
29 in investigating activities relating to the entry of illegal
30 drugs into and the movement of illegal drugs from place to place
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1 in Pennsylvania and in removing violent felons, illegal firearms
2 and illegal drugs from designated neighborhoods.
3 Section 4. Powers and duties of Pennsylvania State Police.
4 The Pennsylvania State Police shall have the following powers
5 and duties:
6 (1) Establish and supervise multijurisdictional law
7 enforcement drug task forces as provided for in sections 2
8 and 3.
9 (2) Coordinate the activities of the drug task forces
10 with the activities of other investigative and prosecutory
11 law enforcement agencies.
12 (3) Direct and supervise the formulation of drug task
13 force policies and operating procedures.
14 (4) Provide any necessary training for drug task force
15 members to encourage task force operation as a coordinated
16 unit.
17 (5) Administer any Federal, State, local or private
18 appropriations or grant funds made available for the
19 operation of the drug task forces.
20 Section 5. Effective date.
21 This act shall take effect immediately.
22 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. <--
23 THIS ACT SHALL BE KNOWN AND MAY BE CITED AS THE LAW
24 ENFORCEMENT DRUG AND VIOLENCE TASK FORCES ACT.
25 SECTION 2. DEFINITIONS.
26 THE FOLLOWING WORDS AND PHRASES WHEN USED IN THIS ACT SHALL
27 HAVE THE MEANINGS GIVEN TO THEM IN THIS SECTION UNLESS THE
28 CONTEXT CLEARLY INDICATES OTHERWISE:
29 "COMMISSION." THE PENNSYLVANIA COMMISSION ON CRIME AND
30 DELINQUENCY.
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1 "LAW ENFORCEMENT DRUG AND VIOLENCE TASK FORCE" OR "TASK
2 FORCE." A PORTION OF A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OR POLICE
3 DEPARTMENT THAT IS DEDICATED TO THE PURPOSE SET FORTH IN SECTION
4 3(A).
5 "PROGRAM." THE LAW ENFORCEMENT DRUG AND VIOLENCE TASK FORCE
6 GRANT PROGRAM ESTABLISHED UNDER SECTION 4.
7 SECTION 3. LAW ENFORCEMENT DRUG AND VIOLENCE TASK FORCE.
8 (A) PURPOSE.--A LAW ENFORCEMENT DRUG AND VIOLENCE TASK FORCE
9 SHALL HAVE AS ITS PURPOSE A COMPREHENSIVE CRIME-FIGHTING EFFORT
10 IN A DESIGNATED GEOGRAPHICAL AREA TO REMOVE VIOLENT FELONS,
11 ILLEGAL DRUGS, ILLEGAL FIREARMS AND OTHER CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AND
12 TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR RESIDENTS OF THE GEOGRAPHICAL
13 AREA.
14 (B) OPERATION OF TASK FORCE.--A LAW ENFORCEMENT DRUG AND
15 VIOLENCE TASK FORCE SHALL BE ASSIGNED AND DEPLOYED AS A SPECIFIC
16 UNIT WITHIN A POLICE DEPARTMENT TO ADDRESS IN A COORDINATED
17 FASHION THE PROBLEMS IN A DESIGNATED HIGH-CRIME GEOGRAPHICAL
18 AREA IN ORDER TO CLEAR THAT AREA OF ILLEGAL DRUGS, ILLEGAL
19 FIREARMS AND OTHER CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. THE TASK FORCE SHALL FOCUS
20 ITS OPERATION ON HIGH-CRIME DAYS AND DURING HIGH-CRIME TIMES OF
21 THE DAY OR NIGHT.
22 (C) QUALITY OF LIFE.--IN ADDITION TO MAKING ARRESTS FOR
23 CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, A TASK FORCE SHALL ADDRESS QUALITY OF LIFE
24 ISSUES BY REPORTING TO APPROPRIATE AUTHORITIES OR CORRECTING ON
25 ITS OWN SITUATIONS OR CONDITIONS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO CRIMINAL
26 ACTIVITY, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ABANDONED BUILDINGS AND
27 VEHICLES, BROKEN WINDOWS AND DOORS, VACANT AND TRASH-STREWN
28 PROPERTIES AND BROKEN STREET LIGHTS.
29 (D) LENGTH OF TIME OF OPERATION.--A TASK FORCE MAY TARGET A
30 DESIGNATED GEOGRAPHICAL AREA WITHIN A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION FOR
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1 A SPECIFIC LENGTH OF TIME AND THEN REDEPLOY TO ANOTHER
2 DESIGNATED HIGH-CRIME AREA WITHIN THE POLITICAL SUBDIVISION.
3 SECTION 4. POWERS AND DUTIES OF COMMISSION.
4 (A) PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.--THE LAW ENFORCEMENT DRUG AND
5 VIOLENCE TASK FORCE GRANT PROGRAM IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED. THE
6 COMMISSION SHALL ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM AND SHALL DEVELOP AN
7 APPLICATION PROCEDURE FOR THE PROGRAM. MULTIPLE POLITICAL
8 SUBDIVISIONS MAY APPLY JOINTLY FOR A GRANT AND JOINTLY ESTABLISH
9 AND OPERATE ONE OR MORE TASK FORCES.
10 (B) GRANTS.--
11 (1) THE COMMISSION SHALL AWARD GRANTS TO POLITICAL
12 SUBDIVISIONS THAT APPLY TO THE COMMISSION FOR FUNDS TO ASSIST
13 IN ESTABLISHING AND OPERATING TASK FORCES.
14 (2) THE COMMISSION SHALL BASE THE NUMBER OF GRANTS ON
15 THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS APPROPRIATED BY THE FEDERAL OR STATE
16 GOVERNMENT AND OTHER FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS
17 ACT.
18 (3) THE AMOUNT OF A SPECIFIC GRANT SHALL BE BASED ON
19 INFORMATION REQUIRED BY THE COMMISSION AND PROVIDED BY THE
20 POLITICAL SUBDIVISION SPECIFYING THE COSTS DIRECTLY RELATED
21 TO ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING A TASK FORCE.
22 (C) USE OF GRANTS.--
23 (1) A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION MAY USE A GRANT AWARDED
24 UNDER THIS ACT FOR EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES, PERSONNEL AND
25 TRAINING AND ANY OTHER COSTS DIRECTLY RELATED TO ESTABLISHING
26 AND OPERATING A TASK FORCE.
27 (2) A TASK FORCE MUST BE ESTABLISHED AS A SEPARATE UNIT
28 WITHIN A POLICE DEPARTMENT.
29 (D) MONITORING AND REPORTING.--
30 (1) THE COMMISSION SHALL MONITOR A POLITICAL
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1 SUBDIVISION'S USE OF ANY GRANTS AWARDED UNDER THIS ACT AND
2 MAY REQUIRE AN ACCOUNTING OF THE USE OF THE FUNDS.
3 (2) THE COMMISSION SHALL ANNUALLY REPORT TO THE
4 JUDICIARY COMMITTEE OF THE SENATE AND THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
5 OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON THE PROGRAM. THE REPORT
6 SHALL INCLUDE THE NUMBER AND THE AMOUNT OF THE GRANTS
7 AWARDED, THE POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS RECEIVING THE GRANTS AND
8 ANY OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION.
9 SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.
10 THIS ACT SHALL TAKE EFFECT IN 60 DAYS.
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