SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SHB 1800

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

               Law & Justice, February 27, 1998

Title:  An act relating to community involvement in stopping crime.

Brief Description:  Assisting crime stoppers programs.

Sponsors:  House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Delvin, Poulsen, Sheahan, Costa, Kessler, Dickerson, Blalock, Hatfield, Conway, Gombosky, Keiser, Cody, Morris, Ogden, Mason and McDonald).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Law & Justice:  3/31/97; 2/20/98 [DPA].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON LAW & JUSTICE

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.

  Signed by Senators Roach, Chair; Fairley, Hargrove, Kline, Long and McCaslin.

Staff:  Dick Armstrong (786-7460)

Background:  Crime Stoppers is a community-based program that joins law enforcement, the community, and the media in an alliance to generate public awareness and assistance with solving crimes.  These programs are usually operated by local law enforcement agencies who may televise profiles of offenders and offer rewards for information leading to the arrest of criminals.  In addition, crime stopper programs may host a variety of crime prevention and diversion-type programs in area neighborhoods.

Summary of Amended Bill: The Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development (CTED) may provide grants to local law enforcement agencies or local jurisdictions with crime stopper programs.  CTED determines if any matching funds should be required.  Twenty-five percent of the grants must be for training, public awareness, and establishing new programs.  The grants must be used only for operating costs and not for rewards.  Law enforcement agencies or local jurisdictions may not receive more than one grant during each biennium.  The grant may be made either to start a program or expand an existing program.

CTED must appoint an advisory council to periodically review the crime stopper programs, and report the program's progress to the Legislature by the first of January of each year.

Null and void language is included making final adoption of the legislation contingent on funding in the 1998 Appropriations Act.

Amended Bill Compared to Substitute Bill:  The Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development is not required to contract with the Washington Crime Stoppers Association.  The association will not allocate grants to local crime stoppers programs.  CTED is required to appoint an advisory council to review crime stopper programs.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on February 24, 1998.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Crime Stoppers is a great program to deter crime by involving citizens.  It has been successful in various localities around the state.  The bill is dependent on specific funding in the budget.

No program has been more successful.  Crime Stoppers has over 1,800 local programs nationwide and has solved over 600,000 crimes since it was started in 1976.  It has resulted in the recovery of over $3 billion in stolen property and narcotics.  The program exists in eight Washington counties and should be expanded to cover the other 31 counties.  Crime Stoppers provides an opportunity for community involvement.  Programs have been created for students, which assist students in making schools crime-free, improving behavior and promoting safety.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO:  Representative Delvin, original prime sponsor; Detective Myrle Carner, WA State Crime Stoppers; Shawn DeBoer, father of victim whose murder was solved through Crime Stoppers; Detective Diana Russell, King County Police; Ron Conlin, WA State Crime Stoppers Coordinator.