PRINTER'S NO. 1773
No. 167 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY ROSS, BARD, HERMAN, LESCOVITZ AND COY, MAY 8, 1997
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, MAY 8, 1997
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Requiring creation of a task force to study the cost,
2 effectiveness and equity of alternative means of providing
3 law enforcement within Commonwealth municipalities.
4 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has in excess of
5 2,000 municipalities; and
6 WHEREAS, There exists a great diversity among these
7 municipalities with regard to the many influences which impact
8 on the provision of local law enforcement needs, including
9 population density, rural vs. urban or suburban locale and tax
10 base; and
11 WHEREAS, Among Pennsylvania's municipalities there are those
12 which have and those which do not have a municipal police force;
13 and
14 WHEREAS, A variety of existing or potential options exist
15 which are or may be used to provide law enforcement and police
16 protection within Pennsylvania's various municipalities; and
17 WHEREAS, The need to promote equity, cost-effectiveness and
18 quality in the provision of law enforcement and police
1 protection within Pennsylvania's municipalities constitutes a
2 serious public policy issue; therefore be it
3 RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the General Assembly
4 empower the Local Government Commission to appoint the
5 membership and assemble a Local Law Enforcement Task Force to
6 conduct an investigation and prepare a report to the General
7 Assembly concerning the alternative means by which law
8 enforcement and police protection are being or may be provided
9 to municipalities; and be it further
10 RESOLVED, That, in addition to any members of the General
11 Assembly appointed to the task force by the Local Government
12 Commission, there shall be four other members of the General
13 Assembly appointed to the task force, one to be appointed by the
14 President pro tempore of the Senate, one by the Minority Leader
15 of the Senate, one by the Speaker of the House of
16 Representatives and one by the Minority Leader of the House of
17 Representatives; and be it further
18 RESOLVED, That the task force investigation and report
19 consider the respective cost, availability and efficiency of the
20 alternative means by which law enforcement and police protection
21 are being or may be provided to municipalities; and be it
22 further
23 RESOLVED, That, in furtherance of the task force
24 investigation and report, the Local Government Commission may
25 conduct hearings, take testimony and hire consultants, as
26 needed; and be it further
27 RESOLVED, That the task force investigation and report
28 utilize and incorporate, where appropriate and relative to its
29 inquiry, the findings and conclusions of existing reports and
30 studies prepared by other legislative, executive, governmental
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1 or private agencies, organizations or persons; and be it further
2 RESOLVED, That it is the intent of the General Assembly, by
3 this resolution, that State agencies and offices, including, but
4 not limited to, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Attorney
5 General, counties, district attorneys, municipal corporations
6 and all municipal police forces, county sheriffs, constables,
7 all other local agencies and associations of local governments,
8 fully cooperate with the Local Government Commission during the
9 course of its investigation; and be it further
10 RESOLVED, That the Local Law Enforcement Task Force report
11 its findings to the General Assembly as soon as may be possible
12 as determined by the Local Government Commission.
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