TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator Ronald L. Rice, which would require law enforcement officers to document when criminal incidents are related to gangs in any reports that are sent to the State Attorney General, received final legislative approval today in the Assembly.
“Gang related crime has been taking over our streets and we must take all necessary action to stop it,” said Senator Rice, D-Essex. “It is important to facilitate any communication about gang activity because the more information we collect, the better our chances are to formulate a plan to take back our streets from gang members.”
The bill, S-2125, would require that fingerprint records include a designation as to whether a crime was gang related. The bill would also require all county and local police authorities to include information related to gang activities in their reports to the Attorney General required under the New Jersey Uniform Crime Reporting System.
“Specifically recording crimes that are gang related will help us know the extent of the gang problem,” said Senator Rice. “After learning what crimes are gang related in our communities, we can track where it may go next, and be ready to halt crime before it starts.”
The bill now heads to the Governor’s office for enactment.