AN ACT ESTABLISHING A FORMULA FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF COMMUNITY POLICING GRANTS.
Whereas , The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to establish forthwith a formula for the distribution of community policing grants, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the executive office of public safety, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, shall submit a report to the house and senate committees on ways and means no later than October 1, 2004 that shall recommended a formula for the equitable distribution of community policing grants based upon, but not limited to, the following: accurate statistics for each municipality's population as of the 2000 census, historic levels of community policing grants, violent crime rates, seasonal population fluctuations, hate crimes statistics, non-violent crime rates, tourism and visitor statistics, terrorist attack risk assessment and law enforcement officer assault statistics. Said report shall also include detailed information regarding unexpended balances of said funds for each municipality and the reason for said unexpended balances. No competitive grant funds shall be distributed from item 8000-0010, in section 2 of this act, in fiscal year 2005 prior to the enactment of legislation establishing a new distribution formula for the allocation of said community policing grants. No municipality shall receive funding from said item until they have submitted uniform crime statistics to the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Earmarked funds in the community policing item shall be reduced 33.3 per cent beginning in fiscal year 2006 and in each subsequent fiscal year with the intention of eliminating earmarked funds from said item by fiscal year 2008.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect as of July 1, 2004.