THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	92
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

 

Requesting the federal bureau of investigation to report crimes of domestic violence under the uniform crime reporting system.

 

 

     WHEREAS, uniform crime reports were established in the late 1920s by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and this initiative subsequently led to the Uniform Crime Report program under the jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and

 

     WHEREAS, in Hawaii, the Research and Statistics Branch of the Department of the Attorney General is the federally-designated Statistical Analysis Center for crime-related data and directs the state uniform crime reporting program; and

 

     WHEREAS, under the Uniform Crime Reporting program, the Federal Bureau of Investigation compiles data from states on every incident and arrest in Group A offenses that consist of forty-six specific crimes in twenty-two offense categories; and

 

     WHEREAS, law enforcement has admitted to the Legislature that the classifications of crimes and offenses have not changed over time; and

 

     WHEREAS, most recently, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has announced that it will start reporting crimes of animal cruelty as a separate offense in the National Incident Based Reporting System, which is the source for the data in the Uniform Crime Report; however, this decision came only after over a decade of lobbying by animal rights groups and a recommendation by the National Sheriffs' Association; and

 

     WHEREAS, there is currently no classification in the Uniform Crime Reporting program for crimes or offenses of domestic violence; and

 

     WHEREAS, this body finds that it would be beneficial to have statistical data on crimes and offenses of domestic violence so that policymakers can make educated decisions on resources that should be directed toward domestic violence; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-eighth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2015, that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is requested to consider reporting crimes and offenses relating to domestic violence under the Uniform Crime Reporting program; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is requested to develop parameters for crimes and offenses relating to domestic violence for the purpose of having them reported under the Uniform Crime Reporting program; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Research and Statistics Branch of the Department of the Attorney General work with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to pursue the reporting of crimes relating to domestic violence as a separate Group A offense; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of the Attorney General work with the county police departments to develop an annual report to provide statistics of crimes and offenses relating to domestic violence in Hawaii; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of the Attorney General report to the Legislature on its efforts and progress made in designating crimes and offenses relating to domestic violence as reportable offenses under the Uniform Crime Reporting program, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each Regular Session; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Governor, Department of the Attorney General, Chief of Police of each county, and the members of the Congressional delegation for the State of Hawaii.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Uniform Crime Reporting; Domestic Violence