SHERIFF PATROL ASSISTANCE FOR FINANCIALLY DISTRESSED COMMUNITIES PROGRAM ACT

House Bill 4423 as introduced

Sponsor:  Rep. James A. Lower

Committee:  Local Government

Complete to 4-24-17

REVISED SUMMARY:

House Bill 4423 would create, subject to appropriation, the "Sheriff Patrol Assistance for Financially Distressed Communities Program" within the Department of Treasury, and allow the department to provide program grants to fund sheriff's deputy positions in counties meeting specific requirements.  The bill would take effect 90 days after enactment.

Eligibility and Application

1.      To be eligible to apply for and receive grants from the department, a county would have to provide documentation that shows it has had a total force reduction of at least five sheriff's deputies between 2007 and 2017 as a result of financial constraints. The treasury department would be required to prescribe an application form, and publish on its website the types of acceptable documentation.

2.      The treasury department would be required to approve an application of a county if the county met the force reduction eligibility requirement and agreed to enter a shared service agreement to provide uniform services through the county's sheriff department to cities, villages, and townships within the county at an agreed-upon reimbursement rate for uniform services.

Payments and Limitations

·         If the department approves a county's application, the department would provide grant payments to the county to fund not more than four full-time sheriff's deputies at the agreed-upon reimbursement rate.

·         Grant payments would be made on a monthly schedule under an agreement between the county and department.

·         Grant funding would be provided for a period of three years. A county would be eligible to reapply after three years have elapsed from the date the county was last provided grant funding.

·         Grants awarded by the program would be in addition to, not a replacement for, any other state funding received by a county sheriff department.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The bill would have a positive fiscal impact on counties that met the eligibility criteria and were awarded funds by the Department of Treasury.  However, the magnitude of the fiscal impact would be subject to the amount of funds appropriated.  The provisions of the bill would increase administrative costs for the Department of Treasury.  At this time, there is no cost estimate.  According to Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Reporting[1] datasets, between 2007 and 2015,[2] the reported number of county sheriff officers declined by five or more officers in seventeen counties. These counties[3] include (with total reported reductions):

•           Allegan (12)

•           Branch (10)

•           Genesee (31)

•           Hillsdale (7)

•           Ingham (38)

•           Kalamazoo (26)

•           Lenawee (10)

•           Livingston (11)

•           Macomb (6)

•           Midland (6)

•           Missaukee (11)

•           Monroe (28)

•           Oakland (96)

•           Saginaw (16)

•           Shiawassee (9)

•           Washtenaw (11)

•           Wayne (358)

These data do not reflect on the causes of reductions, and each county would be required to submit evidence of financial distress under the provisions of this bill.

                                                                                        Legislative Analyst:   Patrick Morris

                                                                                                Fiscal Analyst:   Ben Gielczyk

                                                                                                                           Kent Dell

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.

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