WHEREAS, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) estimates that the recovery rate of stolen vehicles has decreased from 84% in 1970 to only 67% in 1997; and WHEREAS, due to criminals changing vehicle identity by installing counterfeit VIN plates, obtaining fraudulent titles, and exporting stolen vehicles to other jurisdictions, it is likely that stolen vehicles will resurface in the market place and be sold in a piecemeal fashion with components being sold separately; and WHEREAS, a lack of standardized procedures dealing with the states' inspecting and titling of rebuilt salvaged motor vehicles and the lack of standardized title branding fails to alert the consumer to the problems of salvaged and damaged vehicles; and WHEREAS, this lack of standardization allows criminals to launder vehicle titles in states with less stringent titling laws and compromises the general safety of the public by failing to properly inspect remanufactured vehicles; and WHEREAS, S. 655, The National Salvage Motor Vehicle Consumer Protection Act of 1999, pending before the United States Congress, provides for anti-theft inspection of salvage motor vehicles, nationally uniform safety inspection criteria, and standardized title branding; and WHEREAS, states choosing to adopt the national guidelines will be eligible for conformance incentive grants that can be used to issue new titles, administer safety inspections, conduct enforcement activities, and other related purposes; now therefore be it RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) urges the passage of S 655, The National Salvage Motor Vehicle Consumer Protection Act of 1999, and that the membership contact their Senators and Representatives to urge their support.

WHEREAS, federal programs designed to assist state and local law enforcement agencies have played a vital role in reducing the nation’s crime rate; and

WHEREAS, state and local law enforcement agencies are on the front lines in confronting the most powerful and sophisticated organized crime groups ever to challenge domestic law enforcement agencies, the international drug trafficking organizations; and

WHEREAS, the problems presented by the unprecedented flow of drugs into this country by these international criminal syndicates are reflected in increased drug usage and drug-related crime in many areas of the United States, particularly mid-size and smaller cities and rural areas; and

WHEREAS, the 1998 Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) report of the National Institute of Justice, reflecting the presence of illegal drugs in the system of persons arrested for criminal acts in 35 communities throughout the United States, continues to show that virtually two-thirds of all arrestees have used some form of illegal drug at the time they commit their crime; and

WHEREAS, at the National Mid-Sized Communities Conference hosted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in February 1999, 80% of the law enforcement attendees stated that drug trafficking in their communities had either increased or increased significantly in the last five years and that drug-related crime accounted for 54% of all violent crime in their communities; and

WHEREAS, the attendees at the above-stated conference reported that 95% of drug trafficking activities in their jurisdictions are generated by people from outside their community, with 60% reporting that drug trafficking in their communities is linked to international criminal organizations based in Colombia and Mexico; and

WHEREAS, the Byrne Funding Program has proven itself an invaluable resource for cooperative federal, state and local anti-crime policing strategies, such as multi-jurisdictional drug task forces and DARE training, all of which are critical to state and local law enforcement response to the drug threat; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police duly assembled at its 106th Annual Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, strongly urges Congress to maintain current funding levels for the Byrne Memorial Grant Program by fully appropriating amounts specified in Title XXI of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994.

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police is dedicated to the timely and effective administration of justice in America; and

WHEREAS, the IACP is further dedicated to supporting appropriate federal legislation which seeks to improve the administration of justice; and

WHEREAS, forensic sciences are a key element in the timely and fair administration of justice through the solving of crimes and the explanation of death; and

WHEREAS, despite overall reductions in reported crime, the success of forensic sciences in solving crimes and explaining death has resulted in significant increases in demand for these services; and

WHEREAS, forensic sciences are instrumental in the successful apprehension and prosecution of thousands of criminals each year as well as the exoneration of innocent citizens; and

WHEREAS, it has been estimated that 70% of the crime in this country is drug-related, and the strain of thousands of drug arrests and drug seizures places a tremendous burden on the forensic science capabilities of state and local laboratories; and

WHEREAS, at least 90% of the nation’s forensic science services are delivered at the local and state government level; and

WHEREAS, due to significant underfunding, forensic sciences delivered at the local and state level nationwide are experiencing major backlogs which severely threaten the timeliness of quality examinations critical to solving crimes and explaining deaths; and

WHEREAS, this underfunding also severely limits local and state forensic science laboratories’ attempts to acquire the necessary advanced technology, recruit and train qualified scientists, and upgrade facilities; and

WHEREAS, this underfunding is also a major barrier in attempts by local and state forensic science laboratories’ efforts to ensure optimum quality by achieving professional accreditation; and

WHEREAS, this inability of state and local laboratories to keep pace with increased service demands and fully meet quality assurance requirements poses a substantial threat to the timely administration of justice; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police duly assembled at its 106th Annual Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, fully supports and strongly encourages the passage of the National Forensic Sciences Improvement Act, which will provide grants to existing local and state forensic laboratories to improve productivity, quality measures, overall operations and achieve professional certification based on generally accepted forensic science performance standards, common definitions and protocols.

WHEREAS, the toll on the motoring public, law enforcement agencies and the economy in loss of life, serious injury and related economic costs caused by impaired driving is unacceptably high despite years of intensified efforts; and

WHEREAS, over 17,000 were killed, and 321,000 injured in alcohol-related crashes in the United States in 1996; and

WHEREAS, the reporting of alcohol-related crashes is inaccurate because in many jurisdictions, only dead drivers involved in fatal crashes are required to be tested to determine their blood alcohol level; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police, duly assembled at its 105th annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, urges all state legislatures to enact legislation to mandate the testing of the level of impairment for all drivers involved in serious or fatal injury traffic crashes.

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police strongly supported the passage of the “Brady Act” which required the completion of the background investigation before a handgun purchase could be completed, and,

WHEREAS, because of the time involved in performing the background check under the current system a five day waiting period was enacted, and,

WHEREAS, aside from providing time for the completion of the background checks, the five day waiting period served as an informal cooling off period for handgun purchasers, and,

WHEREAS, the National Instant Check Background System will be operational after November 30, 1998 which means that a handgun purchaser could have their background check completed in a matter of minutes and be cleared to take the gun home with them. Thus, there is no “cooling off” period, and,

WHEREAS, the IACP has previously approved resolutions that called for the creation of mandatory waiting periods of seven and fourteen days, and,

WHEREAS, the Brady Extension act, legislation which was introduced in Congress this year, would establish a mandatory three day waiting period in order to ensure that a ‘cooling off’ period is in place after the transition to the National Instant Check Background system takes place this fall; now therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police support the Brady Extension Act which would create a mandatory three day waiting purchase prior to the completion of a handgun purchase.

WHEREAS, the federal government recognizes the existing crime problems and the benefits of the community oriented policing philosophy; and,

WHEREAS, the federal government has allocated funds for the purpose of assisting local law enforcement agencies in the hiring of additional officers to further the philosophy of community oriented policing; and,

WHEREAS, local law enforcement has developed and implemented programs with the resources made available by the federal government, have demonstrated commitment to the community oriented policing philosophy and are now beginning to see the benefits of the program; and,

WHEREAS, local communities will soon be required to fund the continuation of the community oriented policing program; and,

WHEREAS, many communities face severe financial constraints which may deter them from continuing those community oriented policing programs already in place; and,

WHEREAS, the discontinuation of community oriented policing programs may negatively impact the quality of life within the communities that have adopted the philosophy of community oriented policing programs; now, therefore be it;

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police, duly assembled at its 105th annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, pursue legislation through the United States Congress to extend the existing funding made available to police agencies under the community oriented police programs.

WHEREAS, The crash rate per mile driven for beginning drivers age 15-20 is about four times that of older drivers; and

WHEREAS, Each year approximately 40 percent of all deaths for people age 15-20 are from motor vehicle crashes; and

WHEREAS, Those young drivers represent 7 percent of the total driving population, but are involved in 13 percent of alcohol-related fatal crashes according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; and

WHEREAS, States with nighttime driving restrictions or curfews for young novice drivers experience lower crash rates than states without such restrictions; and

WHEREAS, Recent evaluations of the benefits of graduated licensing systems show significant reductions in crashes for young drivers; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the International Association of Chiefs of Police, duly assembled at its 105th annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, endorses graduated licensing systems for beginning drivers and supports the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators and the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Laws and Ordinances model graduated licensing systems; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the IACP encourages all states to adopt the model graduated licensing system as developed and recommended by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators and the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Laws and Ordinances.

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police meeting at its 104th annual conference in Orlando, Florida, passed a resolution urging all governments and governing bodies to vigorously protect the health and safety of their citizens through an adherence to established medical and scientific criteria as the sole basis for determining when a dangerous drug has a bona fide medical purpose; and

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police meeting at its 103rd annual conference in Phoenix, Arizona, passed a resolution strongly opposing ballot initiatives in Arizona (Proposition 200) and California (Proposition 215) that would legalize the distribution and/or use of Schedule I drugs; and

WHEREAS, the reason for the International Association of Chiefs of Police continuing opposition to such ballot initiatives, particularly, is the fact that not one national health organization accepts marijuana or other Schedule I drugs as a medicine and many researchers adamantly state that marijuana or other Schedule I drugs have no medical benefit whatsoever; and

WHEREAS, it is neither rational nor compassionate to provide a harmful, addictive drug with no scientifically proven medical efficacy; and WHEREAS, at a time of increasing drug use among our younger population, as exemplified by the Monitoring the Future Survey conducted by the University of Michigan (1996) which disclosed that drug use by youth in the United States has doubled since 1992, we should not be sending false and confusing messages to our youth concerning the danger of marijuana and other Schedule I substances; and

WHEREAS, there are currently ballot initiatives or referendums in Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, the State of Washington and the District of Columbia that would make marijuana or other Schedule I substances available to the public without following the medical and scientific processes by which substances are approved as safe and effective by the Food and Drug Administration for approval and regulation; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), duly assembled at its 105th annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, strongly opposes these initiatives as inconsistent with established scientific and medical protocols for establishing the medical value of dangerous drugs and urges the citizens of these states and the District of Columbia to soundly defeat such initiatives or any other efforts that would legalize the distribution and/or use of any Schedule I drug.

WHEREAS, the citizens of the United States of America are victims of illicit drug trafficking and use; and

WHEREAS, the only purpose of drug trafficking is for the drug traffickers to make a profit and to amass wealth for their personal use and to continue their illegal activities at the expense of the American public; and

WHEREAS, drug traffickers have acquired billions of dollars, mansions, luxury vehicles, artwork, jewelry, and other expensive personal assets through their criminal activities; and

WHEREAS, no one should profit from their crimes; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. citizens have mandated that law enforcement officials disrupt and stop drug trafficking organizations from manufacturing and distributing illegal drugs to their communities; and

WHEREAS, law enforcement officials have found the forfeiture of drug traffickers’ assets to be an extremely effective weapon to deprive drug trafficking organizations of the means used to commit their crimes and the profits of their illegal activities; and

WHEREAS, forfeited property and money are used to help victims of crime and communities and to enhance the ability of law enforcement agencies to protect the public from drug trafficking and other crimes; and

WHEREAS, legislative proposals have been introduced that would make it more difficult for federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to successfully seize and forfeit the profits of drug trafficking so that they can be used to benefit the honest public; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) duly assembled at its 105th annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, strongly opposes any attempt at limiting the asset forfeiture statutes that have proven to be so helpful in the war against drugs.

WHEREAS, legislation has been introduced to provide new authority for officials to investigate and prosecute the most serious bias-motivated crimes in which the violence occurs because of the victim’s sexual orientation, gender, or disability; and

WHEREAS, the majority of state hate crime statutes already cover bias motivated crimes which occur because of the victim's racial or ethnic background, but do not cover crimes directed at individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender, or disability; and

WHEREAS, though states continue to play the primary role in the prosecution of bias-motivated violence, the federal government must have jurisdiction to address those limited cases in which local authorities are either unable or unwilling to act; and

WHEREAS, the IACP’s longstanding concerns about federalizing crimes are effectively addressed by the fact that the statute requires that the U.S. Attorney General certify any case in which the Justice Department seeks to become involved as “in the public interest and necessary to secure substantial justice” and by the fact that federal prosecutors have historically been extremely selective in prosecuting such cases-never more than 10 indictments in any year since 1969; and

WHEREAS, the IACP has played a national leadership role in support of initiatives to improve the response of the criminal justice system to bias-motivated criminal activity; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police, duly assembled at its 105th annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, fully supports efforts to ensure that investigators and prosecutors have the jurisdiction and resources needed to investigate and prosecute these crimes.

WHEREAS, at the meeting of the Board of Officers of the International Association of Chiefs of Police held on August 6, 1998, in Alexandria, Virginia, United States Marshals Service Director Eduardo Gonzalez briefed the officers on his efforts to bring more professionalism to the U.S. Marshals Service; and,

WHEREAS, the purpose of such legislation is to bring about the appointment of U.S. Marshals in a professional manner, and establish standards that require a significant law enforcement background; and,

WHEREAS, the Executive Committee unanimously agreed to support this concept; and,

WHEREAS, this action of the Executive Committee should be ratified by the general membership; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police, duly assembled at its 105th annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, hereby ratifies the actions of the Executive Committee in supporting the appointment of U.S. Marshals in a professional manner, and establishment of standards that require a significant law enforcement background, not necessarily in the Marshals Service.

WHEREAS, a major cause of duty related deaths of police officers is from being shot by individuals who knowingly and unlawfully possessed firearms; and

WHEREAS, thousands of citizens are killed or injured each year in criminal acts by individuals who knowingly and unlawfully possessed firearms; and

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police strongly supports the strict prosecution of criminal acts committed with the use of a firearm; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) duly assembled at its 105th annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, encourages all members to support legislation, in each nation or political subdivision thereof, that would make the unlawful purchase, sale, possession, or use of a firearm chargeable as a separate felony and accompanied by a lifetime prohibition of firearms possession after conviction, unless the privilege of possessing a firearm is restored by a statutorily established affirmative relief process at the state or federal level.