Date: 04/25/2006

Final
BILL SUMMARY for SB06-148

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Refer the bill to the Committee on Appropriations.PASS


01:32 PM -- Senate Bill 06-148

Representative McFadyen, bill sponsor, explained the provisions of SB 06-148 regarding community policing programs. She explained the fiscal impact of the bill and noted the support of the district attorney from her judicial district (Attachment A). In response to a committee question regarding the difference between community policing and programs in which law enforcement officers are assigned to specific neighborhood "beats," Representative McFadyen responded she did not know of any difference but that the bill allows law enforcement agencies to apply for grants to fund officers for the specific purpose of community policing programs. Committee questions centered on the ability of law enforcement agencies to contract or apply for state and federal grants for community policing under current law.


01:46 PM

Richard Randall, Libertarian Party of Colorado, spoke against the bill. He expressed concern for the bill's provisions allowing police officers to utilize public resources to interact with communities and for the appearance of infiltration of communities by police officers. Mr. Randall provided the details of incidents involving citizens and law enforcement officers. He questioned how the bill would impact law enforcement officers who behave questionably and advocated additional training for law enforcement officers instead of additional policing authority as proposed by the bill.

Committee members discussed the purposes of community policing programs and how they can be of benefit to communities, particularly smaller communities, in preventing and responding to crime.


02:03 PM

Carol Poole, Division of Criminal Justice, spoke to the activities of the division in recent years in the area of community policing. She spoke to the activities of community policing training programs in Colorado and to the kinds of programs the bill would fund. In response to committee questions, Ms. Poole indicated that communities find the programs useful in crime prevention efforts.


02:09 PM

Representative McFadyen provided closing comments on the bill.
BILL:SB06-148
TIME: 02:10:05 PM
MOVED:Cerbo
MOTION:Refer the bill to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion carried on a 10-1 roll call vote.
SECONDED:Merrifield
VOTE
Berens
Yes
Cerbo
Yes
Curry
Yes
Decker
Yes
Massey
Yes
Merrifield
Yes
Soper
Yes
Stafford
Yes
Stengel
No
Lindstrom
Yes
Hodge
Yes
Final YES: 10 NO: 1 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS



02:10 PM

The committee adjourned.