AN ACT Relating to crime prevention; amending RCW 36.27.020; adding a new chapter to Title 7 RCW; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature recognizes that all regions of the state suffer from the problem of increased criminal activity and that all regions have a need to encourage neighborhood crime prevention efforts. Neighborhood crime watch programs are an effective way to prevent crimes against both persons and property, to organize individuals and associations to combat crime and help potential and actual crime victims, to reduce the costs to society and individuals resulting from criminal acts, and to encourage citizens to work with government agencies to prevent neighborhood crimes. There is a need to coordinate the collection and expenditure of government funds intended to deal with the problems arising out of neighborhood crimes. There also is a need for state encouragement of neighborhood crime protection efforts.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) There is hereby established the state advisory board on citizens crime prevention. The board shall have sixteen members. The attorney general shall appoint ten of the members. At least one member shall reside in each of the state's congressional districts. The board shall meet at least quarterly. The members shall be paid compensation and expenses for all days spent conducting the business of the board in accordance with the provisions of RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060. One member shall represent the courts, and shall be appointed by the chief justice of the supreme court. One member shall be the insurance commissioner, or his designee. Two members shall be from the senate, appointed by the president of the senate, and two members from the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house. Board members shall serve two-year terms, and shall be eligible for reappointment. The attorney general shall serve as a nonvoting chair of the board.

(2) Each county and city government is authorized to establish a citizens crime prevention local advisory board. The membership of each such board may be variable, but in no case shall a board have more than fifteen members. Each board's membership, to the extent practicable, shall represent the general public, court and parole officials, local law enforcement, and other elements of the population especially interested in crime prevention. Each local advisory board may also establish neighborhood boards that would help in accomplishing the overall purposes of this chapter. The local advisory boards shall be appointed by the various local government legislative authorities.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The attorney general shall furnish staff support to the state advisory board on citizens crime prevention.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The duty of the state advisory board on citizens crime prevention is to study local funding methods and decide whether funding methods should be provided by law to aid in crime prevention. The state board is authorized to study crime prevention methods nationwide including, but not limited to, law enforcement training, technical assistance, educational programs, literature, and films, and the utilization of the latest technological devices to assist in crime prevention.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The state advisory board on citizens crime prevention and similar boards established pursuant to this chapter shall encourage volunteer efforts to prevent crime, and to assist victims of crimes.

Sec. 6. Section 36.27.020, chapter 4, Laws of 1963 as amended by section 1, chapter 19, Laws of 1975 1st ex. sess. and RCW 36.27.020 are each amended to read as follows:

The prosecuting attorney shall:

(1) Be legal adviser of the board of county commissioners, giving them his written opinion when required by the board or the chairman thereof touching any subject which the board may be called or required to act upon relating to the management of county affairs;

(2) Be legal adviser to all county and precinct officers and school directors in all matters relating to their official business, and when required he shall draw up all instruments of an official nature for the use of said officers;

(3) Appear for and represent the state, county, and all school districts subject to the supervisory control and direction of the attorney general in all criminal and civil proceedings in which the state or his county or any school district in his county may be a party;

(4) Prosecute all criminal and civil actions in which the state or his county may be a party, defend all suits brought against the state or his county, and prosecute actions upon forfeited recognizances and bonds and actions for the recovery of debts, fines, penalties, and forfeitures accruing to the state or his county;

(5) Attend and appear before and give advice to the grand jury when cases are presented to it for consideration and draw all indictments when required by the grand jury;

(6) Institute and prosecute proceedings before magistrates for the arrest of persons charged with or reasonably suspected of felonies when he has information that any such offense has been committed and he shall for that purpose attend when required by them if he is not then in attendance upon the superior court;

(7) Carefully tax all cost bills in criminal cases and take care that no useless witness fees are taxed as part of the costs and that the officers authorized to execute process tax no other or greater fees than the fees allowed by law;

(8) Receive all cost bills in criminal cases before justices of the peace at the trial of which he was not present, before they are lodged with the board of county commissioners for payment, whereupon he may retax the same and he must do so if the board of county commissioners deems any bill exorbitant or improperly taxed;

(9) Present all violations of the election laws which may come to his knowledge to the special consideration of the proper jury;

(10) Examine at least once in each year the public records and books of the auditor, assessor, treasurer, superintendent of schools, and sheriff of his county and report to the board of county commissioners every failure, refusal, omission, or neglect of such officers to keep such records and books as required by law;

(11) Examine once in each year the official bonds of all county and precinct officers and report to the board of county commissioners any defect in the bonds of any such officer;

(12) Make an annual report to the governor as of the 31st of December of each year setting forth the amount and nature of business transacted by him in that year with such other statements and suggestions as he may deem useful, including statements and suggestions on neighborhood crime prevention efforts in the county;

(13) Send to the state liquor control board at the end of each year a written report of all prosecutions brought under the state liquor laws in the county during the preceding year, showing in each case, the date of trial, name of accused, nature of charges, disposition of case, and the name of the judge presiding;

(14) Seek to reform and improve the administration of criminal justice and stimulate efforts to remedy inadequacies or injustice in substantive or procedural law.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. The state advisory board on citizen crime prevention shall commence activities by September 1, 1985, and shall report to the legislature on January 3, 1986, and make a final report on January 3, 1987.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. The state advisory board on citizens crime prevention shall cease to exist on July 1, 1987, unless further extended by the legislature.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. Sections 1 through 5, 7 and 8 of this act shall constitute a new chapter in Title 7 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. The sum of one hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1987, from the general fund to the attorney general's office for the purposes of this act.