S-3992               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 6215

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State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1990 Regular Session

By Senators Patrick, Warnke, Rasmussen and Nelson

Prefiled with Secretary of the Senate 1/5/90.  Read first time 1/8/90 and referred to Committee on  Law & Justice.

AN ACT Relating to community involvement in stopping crime through creation of a Crime Stoppers assistance office; adding new sections to chapter 43.10 RCW; creating new sections; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that "Crime Stoppers", a community-based program that joins law enforcement, community, and media in an alliance to generate public awareness and assistance in solving crimes that otherwise remain unsolved, is a low-cost, high-impact program for reducing and solving crime.  The legislature further finds that Crime Stoppers has been successfully employed in major areas in Washington, as well as elsewhere in the United States.  With state assistance, other regions or jurisdictions can begin similar successful programs.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     (1) The attorney general shall establish a Crime Stoppers assistance office that shall work in conjunction with Crime Stoppers organizations, sheriffs, and police chiefs to design model Crime Stoppers programs and provide training and assistance to local Crime Stoppers efforts.

          (2) The Crime Stoppers assistance office may distribute appropriated funds in the form of grants to law enforcement agencies with qualified Crime Stoppers programs as follows:

          (a) The Crime Stoppers assistance office may accept applications for grants from law enforcement agencies with Crime Stoppers programs identical or similar to the model programs or from law enforcement agencies wishing to start such programs.

          (b) The Crime Stoppers assistance office will determine what matching resources, if any, should be required from those Crime Stoppers programs seeking grants.

          (c) No Crime Stoppers program representing any county or city shall receive more than twenty percent of the total funds appropriated in any biennium.

          (d) Crime Stoppers programs operating within a single county may not receive grants which in the aggregate exceed thirty percent of the total funds appropriated in any biennium.

          (e) At least twenty-five percent of the grants given in any biennium must be for training, public awareness efforts, and establishing new programs.

          (f) The Crime Stoppers assistance office may use no more than eight percent of the moneys appropriated for administering this program.

          (g) Grants awarded to local jurisdictions shall be used for operating costs of Crime Stoppers programs, and may not be used for rewards.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     The attorney general shall appoint a nine-member advisory commission to periodically review the Crime Stoppers program and report to the legislature, not later than January 1 of each year, on the program's administration and its progress in achieving its objectives.  At least four members shall be from local law enforcement agencies, and four shall be private citizens, not directly connected with law enforcement.  Members shall serve for terms of two years.  The attorney general shall chair the commission.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     The attorney general shall adopt rules as are necessary to achieve the goals of this program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     The sum of .......... dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1991, to the attorney general from the general fund, to effect the purposes of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.     Sections 2 and 3 of this act are each added to chapter 43.10 RCW.