Requires the municipal police training council establish standards for the destruction of controlled substances

• Democratic3
• Republican1

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Shelley Mayer says this is needed

This bill will require the Municipal Police Training Council to develop, maintain, and disseminate a minimum standards policy governing the destruction of controlled substances seized and held by law enforcement agencies. It further requires that the council recommend a training program to assist new and current officers in properly disposing of controlled substances. Additionally, this bill requires that law enforcement disclose their policies for the destruction of controlled substances to the public. Currently, there is no state or federal system governing the disposal of controlled substances by law enforcement, and there is no outside entity regularly monitoring the disposal of controlled substances. As a result, some departments have disposed of controlled substances in ways that have been deemed "unsafe" by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, such as burying them in landfills, "open burning" the substances by setting them on fire in fields or other open spaces, or incinerating them in burn barrels in parking lots. While most large law enforcement agencies use the generally accepted method of disposing of controlled substances in commercial incinerators, there is a lack of uniformity among departments. By directing the Munic- ipal Police Training Council to develop a minimum standards policy, we can ensure that the disposal of controlled substances is safe for our communities and the environment.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.