Florida Police Chiefs Association - 2008 Legislative Agenda

2008 FPCA Legislative Initiatives

FPCA INITIATIVE:

CRIMINAL JUSTICE STANDARDS AND TRAINING TRUST FUND: FPCA supports the efforts of the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission to properly train Florida's law enforcement officers through increased funding of the CJST Trust Fund. Therefore, the FPCA advocates an increase in fees from fines.

FPCA SUPPORTS:

PRIMARY SEATBELT ENFORCEMENT: FPCA supports legislation authorizing primary enforcement of seatbelt violations.

BULLET RESISTANT MATERIALS: FPCA supports legislation prohibiting the possession of bullet resistant materials by Felons and delinquents.

RED LIGHT CAMERAS: FPCA supports legislation that enables enforcement action based on red light cameras.

MISSING PERSONS: FPCA supports legislation for the timely reporting and identification of missing persons.

OFFENDER MONITORING: FPCA supports legislation that requires high risk offenders not in confinement to be subject to continuous electronic monitoring using a system that reports the offenders' presence near a crime scene, entrance into prohibited areas, and departure from a geographical area(s) where their presence is limited.

ADEQUATE FUNDING OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM: FPCA supports and urges the Legislature to sufficiently fund all aspects of the juvenile justice system to include diversion, assessment centers, treatment, pretrial detention and commitment programs.

FLORIDA PARTNERS IN CRISIS: FPCA supports the work of the Florida Partners in Crisis advocacy efforts on behalf of mental health and substance abuse services for people in need, Further FPCA supports their efforts to obtain funding to continue these services.

CRIMINAL GANGS (HB43/SB76): FPCA supports legislation to strengthen the gang statute by prohibiting felons from possessing bulletproof vests, using electronic communication (internet) for benefiting or promoting gang activity and creates a civil cause of action for the state to sue criminal gang members.

MARIJUANA GROW HOUSE ERADICATION ACT (HB173/SB390): FPCA supports this act to make owning a house used for cultivating, packaging and distributing marijuana a third degree felony, making it a second degree felony to grow 25 plants (current state law sets the threshold at 300 plants) and increases penalties for growing or concealing drugs near children.

WEAPONS AND FIREARMS (HB425): FPCA supports legislation to increase the penalties for acquiring a firearm by fraud and for injuring or killing someone with an assault weapon.

FPCA OPPOSES:

PAROLE BOARD: FPCA opposes the elimination of the Parole Board from its current configuration.

ADMINISTRATIVE INVESTIGATIONS: FPCA opposes any legislation that limits the ability of law enforcement managers to conduct internal and/or administrative investigations as a responsible matter of obligation to the public trust to maintain the highest standards of ethics in government.

CUSTODIAL INTERROGATIONS: FPCA opposes any legislation that limits the introduction into a court of law any evidence that would provide a jury the ability to evaluate all issues, inclusive of confessions and admissions.

DART FIRING STUN GUNS: FPCA opposes any limitations on the proper deployment of non-lethal weapons such as electronic control devices (stun guns) used to deescalate violence on school grounds or other arbitrary considerations.