Executive Order  No. 60: Designating the Governor's Public Safety Committee as State Law Enforcement Planning Agency

WHEREAS, the President of the United States urged in his March 9, 1966, message to Congress that each of the fifty governors establish State planning committees to maintain contact with the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice and with other interested federal agencies, to assess the needs of their State criminal justice systems, and to put into effect those proposals of the Commission that they find to be worthwhile; and

WHEREAS, the Attorney General of the United States on March 10, 1966, notified the Governors that the Office of Law Enforcement Assistance of the United States Department of Justice would provide funds under the National Law Enforcement Assistance Act of 1965 to stimulate and lend assistance to the establishment of Governor's Planning Committees in Criminal Administration in each State to assist local problems of law enforcement, criminal justice and corrections, gather data on State needs and potential solutions in cooperation with the National Crime Program, and plan coordinated improvement measures for greater State and local effectiveness in crime control and prevention; and

WHEREAS, I, John A. Volpe, Governor of the Commonwealth, on September 28, 1966, created the Governor's Public Safety Committee within the Executive Department and subject to the jurisdiction of the Governor to carry out these purposes and to perform planning, research, coordination, technical assistance, program development, and related functions for the criminal justice system of the Commonwealth; and this committee has been funded by State appropriation and by federal grant to engage in such activities; and

WHEREAS, the enactment by the United States Congress of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 has now provided the opportunity for still greater progress in the strengthening and development of the Commonwealth's criminal justice system, and Section 203(a) of that Act requires the chief executive of each State to designate a State law enforcement planning agency;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, John A. Volpe, Governor of the Commonwealth, by virtue of the authority vested in me as supreme executive magistrate, do hereby order as follows:

(1) The Governor's Public Safety Committee, hereinafter referred to as the committee, is hereby designated the State law enforcement planning agency for the Commonwealth, pursuant to Section 203(a) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968.

(2) The committee shall continue to be composed of the Attorney General of the Commonwealth, the District Attorneys of the several districts, the Commissioner of Public Safety, the Commissioner of Correction, the Commissioner of Probation, the Chairman of the Parole Board, the Chairman of the Youth Service Board, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan District Commission, and the Police Commissioner of the City of Boston, all of whom shall serve ex officio; and shall include in addition eight persons to be appointed to one year terms by the Governor, of whom two shall be a mayor and a selectman from a city and a town within the Commonwealth, two shall not be officers or employees of the Commonwealth or any subordinate jurisdiction or agency thereof, and four shall be members of a city or town police department; provided, that not more than two of such four members shall be chiefs of police. Upon the expiration of the term of an appointive member, he shall serve until the qualification of his successor, who shall be appointed in like manner. The chairman of the committee shall be designated from time to time by the Governor.

(3) It shall be the responsibility of the committee to advise the Governor on all phases of the system of law enforcement and criminal justice in the Commonwealth; to develop and revise comprehensive law enforcement and criminal justice plans; to study the problems and needs of and set priorities for improvements in law enforcement and criminal justice at State, regional, county, and local levels; to design and conduct programs to reduce crime, to rehabilitate offenders, to increase the effectiveness of law enforcement, and to prevent or reduce juvenile delinquency; to conduct research, collect statistics and other data, and encourage and facilitate the dissemination of law enforcement and criminal justice information; to provide technical assistance to regions and units of general local government on law enforcement and criminal justice; to make grants and administer grant programs, including the development of appropriate procedures for the review of grant applications and the supervision, evaluation, and auditing of expenditures of projects funded by the committee, pursuant to the terms and conditions of Title I, Parts B and C of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968; and to encourage the development of effective coordination among the law enforcement agencies of the Common- wealth and with those of other States.

(4) The committee shall meet at least once during each of the months of January, April, July, and October and may meet at other times at the call of the chairman. The chairman shall determine the place for holding each meeting and shall send notice of any meeting to all members. The members of the committee shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for their expenses actually and necessarily incurred as committee members. The committee may appoint an executive director, and such research, legal, clerical, and other staff as may be necessary to carry out its duties. Said director and staff shall be paid such compensation as the committee shall from time to time fix and shall not be subject to chapter thirty-one nor section nine A of chapter thirty of the General Laws.

(5) There shall be a proposal review board composed of seven members of the committee. The membership of the board shall include the Attorney General, and six persons designated by the Governor, including:

(a) a mayor or selectman as a representative of units of general local government,

(b) representatives of three of the following aspects of the criminal justice system: police; prosecution and defense; corrections, probation, and parole; and juvenile delinquency, and

(c) the two members of the committee who are not officers or employees of the Commonwealth or any subordinate jurisdiction or agency thereof.

The board shall evaluate and approve or disapprove grant applications under Parts B and C of Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. Members shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for their expenses actually and necessarily incurred as board members. Four members shall constitute a quorum. The board shall be chaired by the Attorney General, and shall meet at least four times a year and on such other occasions at the call of its chairman as may be necessary to conduct its business.

(6) The committee shall establish technical advisory committees, composed primarily of experts, in such areas of criminal justice as it determines necessary, to provide initial review of grant applications and to perform other advisory functions. The committee shall establish appropriate review procedures consistent with Section 303(7) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968.

(7) The committee is authorized to enter into contracts and agreements with, and accept gifts, grants, contributions, and bequests of funds from, any department, agency, or subdivision of federal, county, or municipal government and any individual, foundation, corporation, association, or public authority for the purpose of providing or receiving services, facilities, or staff assistance in connection with its work. Such funds shall be deposited with the State treasurer and may be expended by the committee in accordance with the conditions of the gift, grant, contribution, or bequest, without specific appropriation. The committee may expend for services and other expenses any amounts that the General Court may appropriate therefor.

Given at the Executive Chamber in Boston this twenty-fifth day of July in the year of Our Lord one thousand nine hundred and sixty-eight and of the Independence of the United States of America, one hundred and ninety- third.

JOHN A. VOLPE
Governor
Commonwealth of Massachusetts

JOHN F. X. DAVOREN
Secretary of the Commonwealth