Bill > LD1600

This bill establishes a new Special Response Team Fund to provide financial support for municipal police departments that maintain specialized tactical law enforcement units called "special response teams" (SRTs). These SRTs are elite teams of law enforcement officers certified by the Maine Criminal Justice Academy that are trained to handle high-risk operations and complex criminal investigations beyond standard police capabilities. Under the bill, each county will be required to contribute an annual amount to the fund, calculated based on its proportion of the state's total population. The contribution will represent 10% of the total statewide municipal expenses for maintaining and operating special response teams in the previous calendar year. By April 1st each year, the Department of Public Safety will disburse funds to municipalities with SRTs, reimbursing them 10% of their previous year's SRT-related expenses. If insufficient funds are available, reimbursements will be distributed proportionally. The bill also requires the Department of Public Safety to establish administrative rules for implementing the fund and to collect annual expense accountings from municipalities with special response teams. The fund will be a revolving, non-lapsing account that can also receive appropriations, allocations, grants, and donations from public and private sources.

Justice

https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=1600&snum=132