GCC 2011 Legislative and Policy Agenda - North Carolina ...

Status of Legislative Agenda Updates, 2001 - 2009ItemRationaleSupport the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) initiative administered by the Department of Healthand Human ServicesTo provide the best services to consumers and the public-at-large, law enforcement must have theability to assess a situation quickly and accurately and the capacity to implement an effectiveresponse. One of the most critical challenges to law enforcement beyond recognizing that adetainee has a mental health issue is what to do with that individual once that observation has beenmade. The CIT initiative offers a promising solution to address common problems arising when aconsumer with a mental health issue is detained. CIT officers receive more intensive training thantheir non-CIT counterparts and therefore are best equipped to assess situations involving consumerswith mental health issues.Additionally, there is a common protocol that addresses the response to those consumers. Thisresponse protocol has at its core, identifying services for the mental health and well-being of theconsumer. Often this provides relief to an already over-burdened criminal justice system as theseconsumers may be diverted from the court system.The oldest and most established CIT program in the state is in Wake County. It has the advantageof having a crisis unit that can provide a very quick drop-off capacity for law enforcement. ExcellentCIT training programs also exist in many other areas of the state.StatusItemFunded a feasibility study with UNC-Charlotte and awaiting final report and evaluation. Helpedfunded a statewide CIT Conference.Enact legislation to make assault on a law enforcement officer a felony offenseAt the September 2008 meeting of the Governor‟s Crime Commission, the Criminal JusticeImprovement Committee voted to support legislation making the act of assaulting a law enforcementofficer (a deliberate assault, a deliberate striking, or to further an escape) a felony rather than amisdemeanor. In concordance with that meeting, the members of the Governor‟s Crime Commissionhereby approve and support House Bill 134, dated Feb. 12, 2009, to raise the criminal offense ofsimple assault on an officer or employee of the state or a political subdivision of the state from aClass A1 misdemeanor to a Class I felony.House Bill 134 was introduced by Rep. Tucker during the 2009 session. Passed first reading andreferred to Judicial Committee III. Senate Bill 1036 was introduced by Sen. Brock. Passed on firstreading and referred to Judicial Committee I.Notes1. North Carolina General Statute § 15A-502. Photographs and fingerprints.(a) A person charged with the commission of a felony or a misdemeanor may be photographed andhis fingerprints may be taken for law-enforcement records only when he has been:(1) Arrested or committed to a detention facility, or(2) Committed to imprisonment upon conviction of a crime, or(3) Convicted of a felony.(a1) It shall be the duty of the arresting law-enforcement agency to cause a person charged with thecommission of a felony to be fingerprinted and to forward those fingerprints to the State Bureau ofInvestigation.(a2) If the person cannot be identified by a valid form of identification, it shall be the duty of thearresting law-enforcement agency to cause a person charged with the commission of:(1) Any offense involving impaired driving, as defined in G.S. 20-4.01(24a), or(2) Driving while license revoked if the revocation is for an Impaired Driving LicenseRevocation as defined in G.S. 20-28.216