I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 266
To evaluate the effectiveness of certain community efforts in coordination
with local police departments in preventing and removing violent crime
and drug trafficking from the community, in increasing economic develop-
ment in the community, and in preventing or ending retaliation by
perpetrators of crime against community residents, and for other
purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 7, 1997
Mrs. ROUKEMA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To evaluate the effectiveness of certain community efforts
in coordination with local police departments in prevent-
ing and removing violent crime and drug trafficking from
the community, in increasing economic development in
the community, and in preventing or ending retaliation
by perpetrators of crime against community residents,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Neighborhood Security
Act’’.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
It is the purpose of this Act to provide for the estab-
lishment of demonstration projects designed to determine
the effectiveness of—
(1) certain activities by community residents in
coordination with the local police department in pre-
venting and removing violent crime and drug traf-
ficking from the community;
(2) such activities in increasing economic devel-
opment in the community; and
(3) such activities in preventing or ending retal-
iation by perpetrators of crime against community
residents engaged in these activities.
SEC. 3. DEMONSTRATION GRANT AUTHORITY.
(a) DEMONSTRATION AUTHORITY.—Not later than
16 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Secretary shall award grants under this Act. Grants shall
be awarded annually under this section and shall be for
a period of 4 years.
(b) LIMITATION ON GRANT AMOUNTS.—The amount
of each grant awarded under this Act shall not be less
than $25,000 nor more than $100,000.
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(c) REDUCTION
IN AMOUNT.—Amounts provided
under a grant awarded under this Act for a fiscal year
shall be reduced in proportion to any reduction in the
amounts appropriated under this Act for such fiscal year
as compared to the amounts appropriated for the prior
fiscal year.
(d) UNUSED PORTION OF GRANT FUNDS.—Any un-
used portion of a grant awarded under this section shall,
upon the termination of such grant, be transferred to the
Secretary for redistribution in the subsequent fiscal year
or for repayment to the Department of the Treasury.
SEC. 4. APPLICATION.
(a) SUBMISSION.—To be eligible to receive a grant
under section 3, a qualified entity shall, not later than 12
months after the date of enactment of this Act, submit
to the Secretary an application to conduct a demonstration
project under this Act.
(b) CONTENT.—An application submitted under sub-
section (a) shall be in such form and contain such infor-
mation as the Secretary shall require, including—
(1) an agreement with the local police depart-
ment to coordinate and assist in the prevention and
removal of violent crime and drug trafficking from
the target community;
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(2) a plan detailing the nature and extent of co-
ordination and assistance to be provided by the local
police department, project participants, and the ap-
plicant; and
(3) a description of the strategy of the commu-
nity for the physical and economic development of
the community.
(c) CRITERIA.—In considering whether to approve an
application submitted under this section, the Secretary
shall consider—
(1) the degree to which the project described in
the application will support existing community eco-
nomic development activities by preventing and re-
moving violent crime and drug trafficking from the
community;
(2) the demonstrated record of project partici-
pants with respect to economic and community de-
velopment activities;
(3) the ability of the applicant to responsibly
administer the project;
(4) the ability of the applicant to assist and co-
ordinate with project participants to achieve eco-
nomic development and prevent and remove violent
crime and drug trafficking in the community;
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(5) the adequacy of the plan to assist and co-
ordinate with the local police department in prevent-
ing and removing violent crime and drug trafficking
in the community;
(6) the consistency of the application with the
eligible activities and the uses for the grant under
this Act;
(7) the aggregate amount of funds from non-
Federal (public and private sector) sources that are
formally committed to the project;
(8) the adequacy of the plan for providing in-
formation relevant to an evaluation of the project to
the independent research organization; and
(9) such other factors as may be determined
appropriate by the Secretary.
(d) PREFERENCES.—In considering an application
submitted under this section, the Secretary shall give pref-
erence to an applicant that demonstrates a commitment
to work with project participants and a local police depart-
ment in a community with—
(1) an enterprise zone or enterprise community
designation or an area established pursuant to any
consolidated planning process for use of Federal
housing and community development funds;
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(2) significant rates of violent crime and drug
trafficking, as determined by the Secretary; and
(3) at least one non-profit community develop-
ment corporation or similar organization that is will-
ing to and capable of increasing economic develop-
ment.
(e) APPROVAL.—Not later than 15 months after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall, on com-
petitive basis, approve or disapprove of the applications
submitted under this section.
SEC. 5. ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.
(a) ACTIVITIES.—Amounts provided under a grant
awarded under this Act shall be used for the following ac-
tivities:
(1) Citizen patrols by car or by foot intended to
prevent violent crime and eradicate open market or
street sales of controlled substances.
(2) Block watch activities, including identifica-
tion of property for purposes of retrieving stolen
goods, camera surveillance to identify drug traffick-
ers and their customers, protection of evidence to
ensure evidence is not lost or destroyed prior to po-
lice arrival, and computer linkages among organiza-
tions and the police to identify hot spots and speed
the dissemination of information.
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(3) Property modification programs, including
securing buildings and residences to prevent bur-
glary, and structural changes, such as the construc-
tion of fences, to parks or buildings to prevent drug
sales or other criminal activity in those areas.
(4) Squatter eviction programs aimed at notify-
ing public authorities of trespassers in abandoned
buildings used as crack houses or heroin shooting
galleries and increasing efforts to remove such
squatters.
(5) Expansion of community liaisons with the
police, including expanding the community’s role in
community policing activities.
(6) Developing and expanding programs to pre-
vent or end retaliation by perpetrators of crime
against project participants.
(7) Other activities consistent with the purposes
of this Act.
(b) ADDITIONAL
ACTIVITIES.—Amounts provided
under a grant awarded under this Act may be used for
additional activities in support of the activities described
in subsection (a), including—
(1) the purchase of equipment or supplies, in-
cluding cameras, video cameras, walkie-talkies, and
computers;
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(2) the training of project participants; and
(3) the hiring of staff for grantees or project
participant organizations to assist in coordinating
activities among project participants and with the
local police department.
SEC. 6. LOCAL CONTROL OVER PROJECTS.
Except as provided in regulations promulgated under
the succeeding sentence, each organization authorized to
conduct a demonstration project under this Act shall have
exclusive authority over the administration of the project.
The Secretary may prescribe such regulations with respect
to such demonstration projects as are expressly authorized
or as are necessary to ensure compliance with approved
applications and this Act.
SEC. 7. MONITORING OF GRANTEES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall monitor
grantees to ensure that the projects conducted under the
grants are being carried out in accordance with this Act.
Each grantee, and each entity which has received funds
from a grant made under this Act, shall make appropriate
books, documents, papers, and records available to the
Secretary for examination, copying, or mechanical repro-
duction on or off the premises of the entity upon a reason-
able request therefore.
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(b) WITHHOLDING, TERMINATION OR RECAPTURE.—
The Secretary shall, after adequate notice and an oppor-
tunity for a hearing, withhold, terminate, or recapture any
funds due, or provided to and unused by, an entity under
a grant awarded under this Act if the Secretary deter-
mines that such entity has not used any such amounts
in accordance with the requirements of this Act. The Sec-
retary shall withhold, terminate, or recapture such funds
until the Secretary determines that the reason for the
withholding, termination, or recapture has been removed
and there is reasonable assurance that it will not recur.
(c) COMPLAINTS.—The Secretary shall respond in an
expeditious manner to complaints of a substantial or seri-
ous nature that an entity has failed to use funds provided
under this Act in accordance with the requirements of this
Act.
SEC. 8. REPORTS AND AUDITS.
(a) REPORTS.—Not later than 3 months after the
termination of a grant under this Act, the grantee shall
prepare and submit to the Secretary a report containing
such information as may be required by the Secretary.
(b) AUDITS.—The Secretary shall annually audit the
expenditures of each grantee under this Act from pay-
ments received under grants awarded under this Act. Such
audits shall be conducted by an entity independent of any