The commissioner and the Attorney General shall report back to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over judiciary matters during the First Regular Session of the 123rd Legislature on the results of their review; the status of the relationship between law enforcement agencies and people who are homeless; and the effectiveness of law enforcement agency liaison officers in improving that relationship.

Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this Act takes effect when approved.

SUMMARY

This bill makes the following changes to the laws.

1. It adds "homelessness" to the factors that a court may take into consideration as factors leading to enhancement of sentences.

2. It requires that the Board of Trustees of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy include in the basic and in-service law enforcement training programs training aimed specifically at reducing barriers to reporting crimes against people who are homeless and dealing with the unique challenges posed by cases that involve victims or witnesses who are homeless.

3. It directs the Commissioner of Public Safety and the Attorney General to review the relationship between law enforcement agencies and people who are homeless, explore methods of improving that relationship and consider ways to facilitate the designation by law enforcement agencies of at least one officer per agency to serve as a liaison between the law enforcement agency and the homeless community served by that agency.