14100119D WHEREAS, the responsibility for the prevention and detection of crime and for the enforcement of the laws of the Commonwealth is currently spread among numerous state agencies; and WHEREAS, the citizens of Virginia expect the Commonwealth to employ professional law-enforcement officers who enforce the laws of the Commonwealth across the state with consistency and fairness; and WHEREAS, it is important to ensure that law-enforcement agencies are accountable and operating as statutorily authorized; and WHEREAS, consolidation of government functions often provides significant cost savings for the Commonwealth; and WHEREAS, the primary state law-enforcement agency in the Commonwealth is the Virginia State Police; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission be directed to study consolidation of all state law-enforcement agencies under the Virginia State Police. In conducting its study, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) shall (i) identify all state agencies that employ law-enforcement officers; (ii) examine the history, budget, and current activities of each law-enforcement agency or division within an agency; (iii) determine whether those agencies or divisions are adequately and cost-effectively performing their statutory law-enforcement duties; and (iv) make recommendations regarding consolidation of all law-enforcement agencies under the Virginia State Police. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission for this study, upon request. The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission shall complete its meetings for the first year by November 30, 2014, and for the second year by November 30, 2015, and the Chairman shall submit to the Division of Legislative Automated Systems an executive summary of its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the next Regular Session of the General Assembly for each year. Each executive summary shall state whether JLARC intends to submit to the General Assembly and the Governor a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a House or Senate document. The executive summaries and reports shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website. |