WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs recognizes that the proportion of the population becoming senior citizens is increasing at a significant rate in many countries of the world;[1] and

WHEREAS, senior citizens present a unique challenge, as well as an important source of support, to the law enforcement community; and

WHEREAS, ongoing vulnerability and victimization by fraudulent incidents of crime and abuse appear to be greater for the elderly[2]; and

WHEREAS, it is incumbent upon law enforcement agencies to formulate and execute policies and procedures to provide protection and services to this segment of the population; and

WHEREAS, every police agency is charged with the duty to assure the public sense of safety and security that, in turn, affects the quality of life of its citizenry; and

WHEREAS, crime prevention provides a viable framework for the delivery of police service that focuses limited resources on issues specific to individual communities. Now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) will hereby take a leadership role in raising the consciousness of the global law enforcement community to the needs and concerns of senior citizens; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP will encourage and actively promote cooperative, coordinated, multi-disciplinary approach to address the criminal victimization of the elderly; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP will encourage the development of investigators whose specialty is the investigation of abuse and exploitation of the elderly.

Submitted by: Crime Prevention Committee

Co-Sponsored by: Victim Services Committee

CPC.04.t2018

Submitted by: Crime Prevention Committee

Co-sponsored by: Private Sector Liaison Committee and Police Investigative Operations Committee

CPC.05.t2018

WHEREAS, U.S. Senate Resolution 252, dated November 16, 2011, recognized the scrap recycling industry as a manufacturing industry critical to the future of U.S.; and [1]

WHEREAS, the scrap recycling industry has made a concerted effort to work with law enforcement on metals theft by forming a Law Enforcement Advisory Council, conducting metals theft workshops, and providing other educational materials; and [2]

WHEREAS, a continuing comprehensive strategy combining the efforts of law enforcement, community leaders, and the scrap recycling industry is necessary to prevent metals theft and prosecute those responsible for metal theft; and

WHEREAS, prompt notification of stolen materials to recyclers is imperative, and timely notifications enhance recyclers’ level of vigilance for stolen materials; and

WHEREAS, in most theft cases, the costs to repair damages done by thieves to infrastructure to convert stolen metals far exceeds the value of the metals, and in 2009 the U.S. Department of Energy estimated the replacement cost of copper to public utilities was about one-fifth the cost of the final repair; and [3]

WHEREAS, in 2017, the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s (NICB) annual report analyzing metals theft claims cited positive correlation between price of copper and the number of theft claims. [4] Copper prices fluctuate and are subject to market conditions; and

WHERAS, in the absence of crime data specific to metals theft, law enforcement officials oftentimes rely on insurance theft claims to assess criminal activity, which while accurate as to insurance claims, carry the potential to miscalculate the number of crimes that are committed with respect to metals theft; and

WHEREAS, without specific crime data, police agencies cannot accurately analyze the location of the thefts, establish timetables to create crime patterns, or the types of targeted metals. The dearth of information makes it difficult for police to focus their efforts; and

WHEREAS, the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI) provides an online portal theft alert system and database known as http://www.scraptheftalert.com at no cost to law enforcement agencies, victims of metal theft, property owners, and corporate security, to assist in the identification and investigation of stolen material and partnered with the Canadian Association of Recycling Industries (CARI) to make the site available in the U.S. and Canada. The more than 19,600 alerts posted to this portal have resulted in numerous successes leading to the identification of suspects and the recovery of more than $2.8 million in stolen material; and

WHEREAS, all 50 US States have metals theft laws; whereby, six states require recyclers to receive theft alerts from ScrapTheftAlert.com: California, Colorado, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, and Washington. [5]  The database is available as a service provider on the Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS) and Law Enforcement Enterprise Portal (LEEP) networks; and

WHEREAS, law enforcement officers may not be aware of the significance or existence of the

theft alert system nor are they fully aware of how to access information that is in the theft alert system database. Now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) calls upon all Law

Enforcement agencies to recognize scrap metal recyclers as partners; take advantage of law enforcement specific tools and resources developed by ISRI; and disseminate metals theft prevention techniques through community crime prevention programs; and, be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, the IACP encourages all Law Enforcement agencies to use the web-based scrap metal theft alert system which can be accessed at http://www.ScrapTheftAlert.com or other web-based sites that are globally available to alert recyclers of stolen scrap metals.

Submitted by: Firearms Committee

FC.07.t2018

WHEREAS, a “Crime Gun” includes any firearm unlawfully possessed, used in a crime, or suspected to have been used in a crime. This may include firearms abandoned or otherwise taken into law enforcement custody that are either suspected to have been used in a crime or whose proper disposition can be facilitated through a firearms trace; and

WHEREAS, armed criminals are often mobile, and evidence of their crimes is easily dispersed across police districts, cities, states and international borders as well; and

WHEREAS, the cross-jurisdictional nature of gun violence requires a regional approach because an agency’s probability of successfully apprehending and prosecuting an offender can be dependent upon what an officer in the next town over does or does not do with the crime gun they may discover; and

WHEREAS, ballistics evidence, bullets and cartridge cases discharged from a crime gun can be used to link a firearm to prior crimes and to link two or more crimes together; and

WHEREAS, crime gun tracing through ATF eTrace (electronic trace system) and NCIC (National Crime Information Center) queries can help police identify and track purchasers, owners and possessors of firearms; and

WHEREAS, forensic evidence such as DNA, latent fingerprints, and other trace evidence like hairs and fibers can help police link Crime Guns to a criminal; and

WHEREAS, scientific and information technology tools like eTrace for crime gun tracing, NCIC for stolen firearms reporting and recognition, National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) for ballistics evidence, Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), and Automated Finger Print Identification System (AFIS), can help police develop and share information about the identity of armed criminals across wide geographic regions; and

WHEREAS, regional firearm recovery and crime gun evidence processing protocols applied and communicated in a timely manner can provide law enforcement agencies with actionable information to help identify and apprehend armed suspects quickly thereby denying them the opportunity to reoffend and to perfect stronger criminal cases against them; and

WHEREAS, to support this regional collaboration, ATF has been working with partners to establish Comprehensive Crime Gun Intelligence Strategies. ATF and its partners, through the National Crime Gun Intelligence Governing Board (NCGIGB) have developed a Best Practices Guide, which is designed to help agencies accomplish several goals including the identification of armed violent offenders for investigation and prosecution; and,

WHEREAS, a comprehensive Crime Gun Intelligence Strategy can also aid in the identification of crime gun sources, efficient resource allocation, providing decision makers with the most accurate crime data available, and increasing case closure rates, public safety, and the prevention of violent crime committed with firearms. Now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police strongly encourages all law enforcement agencies to establish protocols that ensure that recovered firearms and other ballistic evidence are appropriately subjected to e-trace, NCIC, NIBIN, DNA swabbing and latent fingerprint and trace evidence examinations; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police strongly supports the creation of Comprehensive Crime Gun Intelligence Strategies and urges all agencies to review the National Crime Gun Intelligence Governing Board’s (NCGIGB) Best Practices Guide and consider the establishment of such strategies to better coordinate and support firearms related criminal investigations.

Submitted by: Firearms Committee

FC.08.t2018

WHEREAS, firearms tracing is a powerful investigative tool that is dependent on the firearm’s serial number; and

WHEREAS, law enforcement uses a firearm’s serial number to trace the firearm through the chain of distribution to the first retail purchaser, and trace information provided by ATF has led to the identification and prosecution of thousands of criminals; and

WHEREAS, ATF was asked by law enforcement domestically and abroad over 400,000 times in 2017 alone to trace a firearm recovered in a crime; and

WHEREAS, it is already recognized as a serious criminal offense subject to five years imprisonment to possess a firearm with the serial number removed, obliterated, or altered; and

WHEREAS, only federally licensed firearms manufacturers and importers are currently required by federal law to put a serial number on the frame or receiver of a firearm they manufacture or import, enabling it to be traced; and

WHEREAS, ATF treats the frame or receiver of a firearm as a firearm only if it has reached a certain stage of manufacture; and

WHEREAS, unfinished frames or receivers, known as “receiver blanks” or “80% receivers,” have become commercially available, and enable the assembly of “ghost guns”—firearms without genuine, unique and traceable serial numbers; and 

WHEREAS, ghost guns have been recovered after shooting incidents, from gang members and from prohibited people after they have been used to commit crimes; and

WHEREAS, in July 2018, the Los Angeles Police Department completed a 6- month-long investigation that resulted in the seizure of 45 firearms, some of which were untraceable ghost guns; and

WHEREAS, on June 7, 2013, an assailant who had failed a background check when he tried to purchase a gun used a ghost gun he had constructed himself from an unfinished AR-15-style receiver to kill his father, brother, and three other people at Santa Monica College in California; and

WHEREAS, three dimensional, or ‘‘3D’’ printing, involves the programming of a 3D printing machine with a computer file that provides the code for the item to be printed; and

WHEREAS, recent technological developments have allowed for the 3D printing of firearms and firearm parts, including parts made out of plastic, by unlicensed individuals in possession of relatively inexpensive 3D printers; and

WHEREAS, code exists for 3D printing an unfinished firearm frame or receiver that can be built into a functional firearm; and

WHEREAS, 3D-printed guns or guns made with 3D-printed receivers have been recovered by law enforcement as travelers attempted to transport the firearms through checkpoints; and

WHEREAS, firearms 3D-printed in plastic may be able to evade detection by metal detectors at security checkpoints, increasing the risk that a firearm will be used to perpetrate violence on an airplane or other area where people congregate; and

WHEREAS, the availability of online code for the 3D printing of firearms and firearm parts increases the risk that dangerous people, including felons, domestic abusers, and other people prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law, as well as terrorists and criminals around the world, will evade background check requirements and obtain a firearm through 3D printing; and

WHEREAS, if the code for 3D printing firearms and firearm parts are available online, people ineligible to possess firearms, and people intending to commit gun crimes, both domestically and abroad, may create untraceable firearms in order to avoid accountability for these crimes; and

WHEREAS, until recently, the State Department had considered the online posting of code for 3D printing firearms to be a violation of the Arms Export Control Act, as it would enable non-U.S. persons to assemble functional firearms; and

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chief of Police (IACP) recognizes that the easy availability of unfinished firearm frames and receivers, and the online availability of code for 3D printing firearms threatens to undermine state and federal gun laws and to endanger public safety and national security. Now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the IACP calls upon governments to use their authority to continue preventing the online posting of code for 3D printing firearms; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP strongly supports legislation at both the state and federal levels to address the threat posed by untraceable firearms (e.g. ghost guns) , firearm frames and receivers requiring minimum finish work, and 3D printed firearms by ensuring that these firearms have proper serial numbers and are detectable at security checkpoints, and are subject to the same laws and regulations as firearms defined in the Gun Control Act of 1968.

Submitted by the Homeland Security, Police Investigative Operations, and Computer Crime and Digital Evidence Committees

HSC.09.t2018

WHEREAS, many criminal investigations require access to electronic evidence that is stored in other jurisdictions, including the “cloud”; and 

WHEREAS, cross-border access is one of the most pressing issues for law enforcement around the globe, particularly in the areas of sexual exploitation of children, fraud, cyberterrorism, trafficking of illicit drugs, and organized crime; and

WHEREAS, the current procedure presents challenges in terms of the voluntary collaboration of service providers, cooperation between police forces, the implementation of certain investigative techniques and the effective implementation of international mutual legal assistance in criminal matters; and

WHEREAS, the Parties to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime agreed, on June 8, 2017, to launch the preparation of a protocol to this treaty to help law enforcement secure evidence on servers in foreign, multiple or unknown jurisdictions; and

WHEREAS, that Protocol could include provisions for elements such as:

1. more effective mutual legal assistance,
2. enhanced cooperation with service providers in other jurisdictions,
3. a clear framework and stronger safeguards related to cross-border access to data, and;
4. safeguards, including data protection requirements; and

WHEREAS, many IACP member countries are Parties to that Convention and are participating in this work; and

WHEREAS, the United States of America have enacted, on March 23, 2018, the Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act (CLOUD Act); and

WHEREAS, this Act provides, among other things, for an alternative and expedited mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) procedure through bilateral executive agreements with foreign countries to provide data on United States citizens, permanent residents and corporations in a simplified manner to these countries, provided that the Attorney General, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, is of the opinion that the foreign country has sufficient safeguards to restrict access to data concerning such persons. Now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, the International Association of Chiefs of Police supports the negotiations on the 2nd Additional Protocol to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime to address the challenges of cross-border access to digital evidence in criminal matters; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, the International Association of Chiefs of Police urges the Governments of their members to negotiate bilateral data-sharing agreements with the United States of America who are authorized to do so pursuant to the CLOUD Act; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, the International Association of Chiefs of Police urges member Governments to engage in meaningful consultation with their National Law Enforcement Leadership during the development of these instruments.

Submitted by: Highway Safety Committee

HSC.10.t2018
 

WHEREAS, heightened homeland security concerns emphasize the need for fast and reliable identification of vehicles by law enforcement officers and citizens alike, which is extremely important for law enforcement officers who steadfastly patrol the more than 25 million miles of highways and roads globally; and 

WHEREAS, motor vehicles are used in the majority of all serious crimes committed in the United States and the quick discovery of such vehicles can help solve these crimes; and 

WHEREAS, in addition to improving safety, traffic enforcement activities have proven to be invaluable in the detection and apprehension of individuals involved in terrorist and/or criminal activities; all means of initial identification, including retro-reflective front and rear license plates, are essential; and 

WHEREAS, retro-reflective front and rear license plates are essential in the quick and accurate identification of motor vehicles traveling toward or away from a law enforcement officer, even at highway speeds, whether the officer is using Automated License Plate Reader technology or reliant on personal observance; and 

WHEREAS, retro-reflective front and rear license plates serve as a significant safety device, warning motorists of the presence of vehicles that are disabled or that otherwise lack sufficient headlights or taillights and allowing those vehicles to be observed at a safe distance and in a timely manner; and 

WHEREAS, fully reflective validation tabs displaying month and year attached to the license plate provides law enforcement officers with an instant recognition system of valid vehicle registration; and

WHEREAS, an effort to repeal the requirement for front license plates and/or validation tabs are sometimes made in response to budgetary or other non-safety centric considerations; and

WHEREAS, if such efforts are successful, they would have a serious and negative effect on the ability of law enforcement officers to effectively identify vehicles or invalid vehicle registrations and to initiate reasonable suspicion vehicle stops; and

WHEREAS, it is important to keep license plates legible and to maintain their retro-reflectivity because they are relied upon by law enforcement and citizens alike for public and traffic safety. Now, therefore, be it 

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) recognizes that the efficient and reliable identification of vehicles is a critical element of national, state and local safety and security, supports the issuance of retro-reflective front and rear license plates with clearly identifiable registration numbers and states of registration, and urges issuance of new plates prior to retro-reflective degradation and as otherwise required to maintain effective vehicle identification; and, be it 

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP supports the issuance of retro-reflective validation tabs indicating the month and year for use on the license plates of all motor vehicles registered to operate on public highways and roadways; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP supports the use of the License Plate Standard for the design and manufacture of license plates published by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.

Submitted by: Highway Safety Committee

HSC.11.t2018

WHEREAS, vehicle crashes are a leading cause of deaths, injuries, property damage and related costs to communities and its citizens; and

WHEREAS, a comprehensive traffic safety program has been proven to decrease vehicle crashes of all types, including vulnerable roadway users such as bicyclists and pedestrians, and also provides ancillary benefits to law enforcement and public safety; and

WHEREAS, high-visibility traffic enforcement is a key component of a comprehensive traffic safety program and enforcement must be conducted in compliance with legislation; and

WHEREAS, at times, and often in reaction to an incident, legislation is proposed that is unclear, unenforceable and/or would result in discouraging, impeding and/or creating confusion as to the intent of a particular law or laws; and

WHEREAS, such a scenario would have the potential to severely decrease traffic enforcement efforts which in turn would potentially increase crashes and thus endanger all roadway users. Now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the IACP strongly urges elected officials to work in concert with law enforcement officials prior to enacting traffic-related legislation (both new and amendments to existing laws) so that the intent of the legislation is clear, that it is enforceable and that it does not discourage and/or impede law enforcement personnel from conducting traffic enforcement efforts.        

Submitted by: Individual

IDV.12.t0218

WHEREAS, child sexual abuse material is the recording of the sexual abuse and exploitation of a child; and

WHEREAS, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (“UNCRC”) reflects a commitment by each signatory state to take all appropriate national, bilateral and multilateral measures to prevent the sexual exploitation of children (Article 34); and

WHEREAS, the UNCRC commits all signatories to take all appropriate measures to promote the physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration of a child victim of exploitation or abuse (Article 39), and the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography (the "Optional Protocol") reiterates the obligation to ensure appropriate assistance to victims, including their full social reintegration and full physical and psychological recovery (Article 9, point 3); and

WHEREAS, the Optional Protocol calls on signatory states to strengthen international cooperation for the prevention, detection, investigation, prosecution and punishment of those responsible for acts involving the sale of children, child prostitution, child pornography and child sex tourism (Article 10, point 1), to adopt appropriate measures to protect the rights and interests of child victims at all stages of the criminal justice processes (Article 8), to ensure access to adequate procedures to seek compensation from those criminally responsible (Article 9, point 4); and to promote international cooperation to assist child victims in their physical and psychological recovery, social reintegration and repatriation (Article 10, point 2); and

WHEREAS, the IACP recognizes that child sexual abuse imagery is often present in child sexual abuse cases, the privacy and dignity of the children whose child sexual abuse has been recorded is violated each time a child's sexual abuse image is shared, and as such, expedited detection of such evidence is critical to halting the propagation of this abusive material and protecting victims from a lifetime of ongoing victimization; and

WHEREAS, there are a number of organizations around the world working to reduce the online sexual exploitation of children (including hotlines within the INHOPE network, the policing community and governments); and

WHEREAS, survivors experience life-long impacts, including worrying about being recognized by someone who has seen their imagery; and

WHEREAS, on August 29, 2018, the countries of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States issued the Five Country Ministerial Statement on Countering the Illicit Use of Online Spaces which statement acknowledged the widespread transmission of CSAM online (among other things), and called upon industry and governments to do more to address the spread of illicit content online; and

WHEREAS, it is recognized that technological tools and innovation can be harnessed to automate and/or enhance the detection, removal and prevention of upload of child sexual abuse material, with one such tool being Project Arachnid (developed by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection and supported by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)).  Project Arachnid is a platform designed to reduce the public availability of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) through both proactive detection methods as well as tools for industry.  It utilizes hash values provided by the RCMP and INTERPOL and NCMEC to facilitate this detection; and

WHEREAS, since January 2017, Project Arachnid has been fully operational, and there are now hotlines in some countries that are either already supporting the work being done by Project Arachnid by assessing content, or are working towards doing so, including NCMEC. As of September 2018, Project Arachnid has reportedly flagged over 1.7 million unique images and videos for assessment and that over 910,000 notices have been sent to providers to request removal of CSAM. The model of notice and takedown is one that is being used by hotlines around the world and while most providers have been responsive and have been complying with the request to remove CSAM, it is recognized that there are providers that take significantly longer than that; and

WHEREAS, there are a vast number of CSAM victims globally who have not been identified by law enforcement. Now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the IACP recognizes that the creation and distribution of child sexual abuse imagery (CSAM) is a serious international problem and encourages the law enforcement community to do more to support other stakeholder efforts to reduce the public availability of CSAM; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP recognizes that the creation and distribution of child sexual abuse imagery often has lifelong impacts on victims around the world and more must be done to identify victims in all countries so that they can begin the recovery process; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP recognizes the need to reduce the ongoing victimization and harm that survivors of CSAM suffer as a result of their CSAM being accessible online; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP recognizes that tools that automate and/or enhance the detection, removal and prevention of upload of CSAM can help to reduce the public availability of CSAM, provide psychological relief to survivors, and help prevent newly identified victims from experiencing similar ongoing and future victimization; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP encourages the international law enforcement community to increase its awareness and understanding of Project Arachnid and its role in detecting and facilitating the removal of CSAM, including legacy content; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP calls for the international law enforcement community to support the operation of Project Arachnid, including through the coordinated submission of hash values to INTERPOL and NCMEC as expeditiously as possible; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP strongly encourages law enforcement agencies around the world to make a determination of whether imagery exists in all child sexual abuse cases, and if found, to submit the hash values associated with the imagery to INTERPOL or NCMEC as expeditiously as possible, recognizing that hash values are essential to automating the detection, removal and prevention of upload of CSAM; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP strongly agrees that more must be done to facilitate victim identification in all countries, including collaboration between law enforcement agencies in different jurisdictions to share information and resources to identify and assist victims, and the IACP encourages law enforcement agencies to advocate for the resources needed to join in a coordinated international effort to identify unknown victims; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP supports the consideration of legislative initiatives within each jurisdiction that: encourage timely compliance with notices sent to service providers requesting removal of child sexual abuse material that is believed to be hosted on their service; increase the accountability of industry to ensure that CSAM, when detected, is removed as expeditiously as possible; and help secure the retention of information needed for further investigation; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP recognizes that victims of CSAM may face procedural and practical difficulties in providing a victim impact statement in cases that involve subsequent possessors and distributors of their CSAM and supports the creation of an international database of victim impact statements, from victims of CSAM, that is anonymized and accessible for court purposes in various countries.

Proposed by:  Private Sector Liaison Committee

PSLC.14.t2018

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) supports efforts of the life safety, alarm, and electronic security industries, represented by the Security Industry Alarm Coalition; and,

WHEREAS, IACP recognizes the importance of strong relationships between law enforcement and the private sector; and,

WHEREAS, IACP recognizes the importance of accountability in false alarm reduction to maximize officer safety and efficiency in the deployment of law enforcement resources; and,

WHEREAS, IACP acknowledges that correctly installed, operated and monitored electronic security systems are effective resources which help to deter crime, assist in apprehensions, reduce property loss and potentially save lives; and,

WHEREAS, IACP recognizes the need to focus on the credibility of alarms received by law enforcement/first responder call centers from alarm companies and private entities through the establishment of best practices as contained in this Model Ordinance for Alarm Management and False Alarm Reduction, duly vetted and recommended by the Private Sector Liaison Committee; and,

WHEREAS, IACP recognizes the need for and value of strong enforcement recommended in this Model Ordinance to achieve the desired reduction in alarm dispatches experienced by police agencies. Now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the IACP encourages the use of the 2018 Model Ordinance for Alarm Management and False Alarm Reduction and all of the best practices it contains by law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.1

Submitted by: Transnational Crime Committee

TCC.15.t2018

WHEREAS, transnational crime results in significant harm from the community level up to the national level, encompassing hundreds of billions to trillions of dollars in economic loss annually, victimizing individuals through human trafficking, as well as destroying the safety of communities through violence, drug distribution and other criminal activity; and

WHEREAS, transnational crime, by its very nature, crosses multiple local, state and national boundaries, affecting myriad jurisdictions in the process; and

WHEREAS, the sharing of information between the various jurisdictions that are affected by a Transnational Criminal Enterprise is critical to the effective identification and countering of said transnational criminal enterprise; and

WHEREAS, this resolution is consistent with the position of The Quintet of Attorneys General. Now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police supports or agrees with the further development and implementation of information sharing practices, protocols and initiatives related to transnational Criminal enterprises; and, be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, it shall be the goal of the International Association of Chiefs of Police to promote information sharing in the most efficient manner possible by utilizing, to the extent possible, existing information sharing networks, such as currently existing fusion centers and Regional Information Sharing Systems; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, the International Association of Chiefs of Police calls on government to create the environment to support information sharing networks including bringing forward legislative changes.

Submitted by: Vehicle Crimes Committee

VCC.16.t2018

WHEREAS, the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) was established pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 30502; and

WHERAS, the purpose of NMVTIS is to assist in efforts to protect private and commercial consumers and states from vehicle crimes and provide consumer protection from unsafe vehicles and information obtained from NMVTIS also serves to deter the use of stolen vehicles to fund criminal activity and enterprises; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is responsible for oversight of the NMVTIS program and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) serves as the NMVTIS operator; and

WHEREAS, under federal law, NMVTIS system operations is intended to be self-sustaining and AAMVA continues to explore opportunities to support system financial sustainability. Currently, NMVTIS contains 95% of the U.S. motor vehicle agency data required to be provided; and

WHEREAS, NMVTIS is to serve as a repository of information related to vehicles in the possession of auto recyclers, junk yards, salvage yards, and insurance carriers. This is known as junk yard, salvage yard, and insurance carrier (JSI) NMVTIS data; and

WHEREAS, this information is used by states and consumers to ensure junk or salvage vehicles are not reintroduced into the market, enhancing public safety.  This also serves to deter the use of vehicle identification numbers (VIN’s) from junk or salvage vehicles from being used on stolen vehicles and sold to unsuspecting buyers; and

WHEREAS, JSI NMVTIS reporting compliance enforcement is important to ensure system integrity and for the deterrence of aforementioned vehicle crimes; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is responsible for investigating complaints of failing to comply with JSI NMVTIS reporting.  Civil penalties for non- compliance may be assessed up to $1,000 per violation; and

WHEREAS, BJA maintains an NMVTIS awareness campaign to promote JSI NMVTIS reporting compliance which includes: mailings, webinars, advertisements, and presentations at industry

conferences. However, when voluntary compliance for JSI NMVTIS reporting is not successful, BJA may impose and collect civil penalties as provided for in 49 U.S.C. 30505; and

WHEREAS, this committee understands the limited resources, BJA is restricted in its ability to provide NMVTIS oversight and enforcement efforts; and

WHEREAS, this may result in junk or salvage vehicles being put back on the roadway undetected, thereby jeopardizing the lives of the operator and others on the roadway; and

WHEREAS, this may also reduce the ability of stolen vehicles to be recovered by the reusing of VIN’s from junk or salvage vehicles; and

WHEREAS, civil penalties assessed and recovered by BJA are not maintained by BJA for program operation but are sent on to the U.S. Treasury General Fund. Now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police calls on the United States Congress in supporting a change of law to allow these civil penalties to be used by BJA for NMVTIS oversight and enforcement compliance.