SENATE, No. 69
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION
By Senators CASEY and KOSCO
An Act concerning State assistance for community policing programs and supplementing chapter 17B of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in this act:
"Community policing" means a law enforcement and crime prevention strategy that emphasizes police foot patrols, personal interaction between law enforcement officers and residents, the coordination of law enforcement services with other public and private services to reduce criminal activity, and the involvement of residents in crime prevention programs.
"Eligible cost" means the cost of purchasing, leasing or renovating a structure for use as a regional crime prevention community policing center, the cost of equipment needed to carry out the objectives of a regional community policing program, and the salary cost of a crime prevention officer employed by the center.
"Regional crime prevention community policing center" or "center" means a structure strategically located within a municipality that serves as a regional base of combined operations for municipal law enforcement officers, personnel of other law enforcement agencies, community town watch or crime prevention organizations, and residents working cooperatively in a community policing program.
2. a. There is created in the Department of Treasury a nonlapsing, revolving fund entitled the "Regional Crime Prevention Community Policing Assistance Fund." This fund shall be the depository for any appropriations, grants or other moneys provided to carry out the purposes of this act. Interest earned on these deposits shall accrue to the fund.
b. Moneys deposited in the fund shall be used exclusively for grants to assist municipalities to establish regional crime prevention community policing centers as provided in section 3 of this act.
3. a. A municipality that establishes or plans to establish a regional crime prevention community policing center as part of a community policing program may apply to the Attorney General for a grant to defray its eligible costs under this act. Grants may be used to pay up to 50 percent of eligible costs incurred by the municipality in establishing the center, but no grant shall be considered unless such funding is to be supplemented with municipal or county drug enforcement funds on hand. A municipality may not receive more than $50,000 under this act.
b. Application for grants shall be made in a manner prescribed by the Attorney General pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.). The Attorney General shall establish such other rules and regulations as are necessary to carry out the purposes of this act, including rules for the allowable uses of grant funds, the allocation of funds among grantees, and the accountability of grantees for funds received.
4. There is appropriated $1,000,000 to the Department of Law and Public Safety for deposit in the Regional Crime Prevention Community Policing Assistance Fund to carry out the purposes of this act.
5. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill seeks to encourage the establishment of "Regional Crime Prevention Community Policing Centers" as a means of carrying out effective municipal community policing programs. Community policing is a law enforcement and crime prevention strategy that emphasizes police foot or bicycle patrols, interaction between police and neighborhood residents, and the cooperation of police and other public and private agencies. The use of community policing has proven successful in deterring criminal activity and improving neighborhood morale.
This bill would provide grants to municipalities which establish centralized regional community policing programs. The grants would pay for up to 50 percent of the cost of purchasing, leasing or renovating a structure to be used for a regional crime prevention community policing center, the salary of a crime prevention officer, and necessary equipment. These centers would serve as a base of combined operations for local police and other law enforcement officers. They also would house resident town watch and crime prevention organizations.
A regional crime prevention community policing center recently established at a neighborhood location in Pennsauken is a working prototype of the type of facility envisioned by this bill. The center houses municipal police bicycle units, the Camden County sheriff's transportation office, municipal and county crime prevention programs, and town watch groups. The co-location of these agencies in a neighborhood setting has facilitated their work and received an enthusiastic reception from local residents.
Grant funding would be provided from a Regional Crime Prevention Community Policing Assistance Fund, established by the bill. Grant applications would be submitted by municipalities to the Attorney General, who would administer the grant fund and establish program guidelines. Municipalities would have to provide a 50 percent local share in establishing a regional crime prevention community policing center. Part of this matching amount would be required to include on-hand municipal or county drug enforcement funds. Grants to individual municipalities may not exceed $50,000.
The bill provides an appropriation of $1 million for deposit in the Community Policing Assistance Fund.
Establishes grants for community policing facilities; appropriates $1 million.