GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

EXTRA SESSION 1994

S	1 

SENATE BILL 80

Short Title:  Local Crime Prevention Grants.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Senators Albertson; Parnell, Martin of Pitt, Winner of Mecklenburg, Warren, Plexico, Martin of Guilford, Edwards, Conder, Hoyle, Perdue, Jordan, Blackmon, Folger, and Lucas.
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Referred to:  Juveniles/Prevention.
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February 11, 1994

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A GRANT PROGRAM FOR LOCAL CRIME PREVENTION PILOT PROGRAMS THAT FOCUS ON TRUANCY AND TRUANCY-RELATED CRIME.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety the sum of three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) for the 1994-95 fiscal year to provide two-year grants to six local law enforcement agencies to establish local crime prevention pilot programs in which law enforcement officers actively assist school officials in the education process by returning truant juveniles who are in public places without adult supervision or without appropriate permission to be out of school during school hours to their usual schools.
Each pilot program shall operate as follows:  the primary effort of locating truant juveniles shall be the responsibility of all law enforcement officers on routine regular duty.  However, at least one local law enforcement officer shall be assigned a special duty status to enforce truancy laws and shall have access to a cellular telephone and possess all of the school facility telephone numbers in the local community in which the officer is assigned.
Any juvenile who is in a public place during school hours and who is not accompanied by a responsible adult may be asked by a law enforcement officer why the juvenile is absent from school. The law enforcement officer shall attempt to verify the response of the juvenile by contacting the parent or guardian of the juvenile or the appropriate school authority, or by contacting the special duty officer who shall contact either the parent or guardian of the juvenile or the appropriate school authority.  No juvenile approached as a part of a pilot program shall be taken to any type of detention facility or the local law enforcement department unless some other crime has been committed.
Sec. 2.  The Secretary of the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety shall administer the grant program, provide technical assistance to grant applicants and recipients, select grant recipients, evaluate the pilot programs and develop guidelines for implementing successful programs.  Pilot programs shall be evenly distributed geographically throughout the State and shall also be distributed evenly between rural and urban areas of the State.
No grant awarded to a local law enforcement agency shall exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for the 1994-95 fiscal year.  A grant awarded to a local law enforcement agency may be used for salaries, administrative costs, transportation costs, purchase of vehicles, and other necessary costs of the pilot program.
Sec. 3.  Grant proposals shall include:  (i) an evaluation of truancy offenses and other crimes related to truancy in the community, and (ii) a plan to use existing community resources including school policies, school administrative procedures, and local law enforcement policies and guidelines for enforcing truancy laws.  Grant recipients shall report to the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety at least annually with regard to the truancy rate and the rate of juvenile crime in the community in which the grant recipient is located.
Sec. 4.  The Department of Crime Control and Public Safety shall report quarterly to the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations and the Fiscal Research Division with regard to its progress in implementing the pilot programs as provided in this act.
Sec. 5.  Grant funds shall remain available for expenditure until July 1, 1996.
Sec. 6.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1994.