HB 91 -- COUNTY CRIME REDUCTION FUND

CO-SPONSORS:  Mayer, Crowell, Jetton, Lipke (157)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on Crime
Prevention and Public Safety by a vote of 16 to 1.

This bill allows county commissions to create county crime
reduction funds and specifies the purposes for which the money in
the funds can be spent.

The bill allows the court to order restorative justice methods in
cases where there is a suspended imposition or execution of
sentence and to order individuals who have a suspended imposition
or execution of sentence for a misdemeanor to make a payment of
up to $1,000 to the county crime reduction fund.

The bill allows the court to order a payment of up to $1,000 to
the county crime reduction fund as a condition of probation.  A
judge can only order such a condition of probation if the county
crime reduction fund was established prior to sentencing.  A
judge cannot have any direct supervisory or administrative
control over a fund to which he or she orders probationers to
make payments.  A defendant can refuse probation that includes
payments to a county crime reduction fund as a condition, but
probation cannot be revoked solely for failure to make payments
to the fund, except under certain circumstances.

FISCAL NOTE:  Estimated Net Cost to General Revenue Fund of $0 to
Unknown in FY 2004, FY 2005, and FY 2006.  Estimated Net Effect
to State School Moneys Fund of $0 in FY 2004, FY 2005, and FY
2006.  Estimated Net Effect to County Crime Reduction Fund of $0
in FY 2004, FY 2005, and FY 2006.  Estimated Net Effect to
Certain School Districts of $0 in FY 2004, FY 2005, and FY 2006.
Fiscal impact would be dependent upon the County Commission
establishing a Crime Reduction Fund and upon the number of cases
that would be suspended without a fine.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that the bill provides another way to
help pay for the cost of law enforcement.  Budget constraints
exist at the county level, as well as at the state level.  This
has forced many sheriffs' departments to go short-staffed.  Wayne
County, for example, is now down to having only two deputies on
duty at one time, and they must cover an area of more than 750
square miles.  Often, the county sheriff's department must house
parole violators for several days before they can be transferred
to the Department of Corrections.  Most of those people need
medical care of some kind, which the county has to pay for.
Shannon County is in even worse shape, with one deputy covering
990 square miles.  Shannon County incurred more than $20,000 in
medical bills for jailed inmates last year.  These are the types
of costs that a crime reduction fund can help cover.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Mayer; Larry
Plunkett, Wayne County Sheriff; Clinton Reeves, Shannon County
Sheriff; Tony Orchard, Shannon County Presiding Commissioner;
Missouri Sheriffs' Association; and Missouri Chiefs of Police.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Richard Smreker, Senior Legislative Analyst

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated July 25, 2003 at 10:10 am