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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Tony DeLuca |
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DeLuca introduces anti-crime bills
HARRISBURG, March 20 – State Rep. Tony DeLuca, D-Allegheny, announced that he has introduced a package of four anti-crime bills that would improve public safety and reward municipal police for their work in seizing controlled substances.
DeLuca’s four anti-crime bills would:
- Require an arresting officer to report the name of any person charged with violating drug possession, sale or manufacturing laws to a newspaper in the person’s community. This includes juveniles, regardless of whether they would be charged as juveniles or adults.
- Make any drug-related offense by a law enforcement officer a third-degree felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
- Award 25 percent of the value of forfeited controlled substances to municipal police forces if they are actively involved in the obtaining the property. If more than one agency is involved, the court would decide how much of the 25 percent would go to each agency.
- Mandate that law enforcement officers who test positive for a controlled substance would lose their job in the Commonwealth.
“My bills are community friendly," DeLuca said. "They not only reward officers for hard work, they prevent individuals from discrediting law enforcement’s reputation. Our citizens will feel safer knowing that they’re being kept up to date with arrests and that the officers protecting them are fully qualified."
DeLuca’s crime bill package has been sent to the House Judiciary Committee for review.
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