STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1269

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.C.R. No. 150

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs and Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 150 entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION TO REPORT CRIMES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE UNDER THE UNIFORM CRIME REPORTING SYSTEM,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the:

 

     (1)  Federal Bureau of Investigation to report crimes of domestic violence under the Uniform Crime Reporting System;

 

     (2)  Research and Statistics Branch of the Department of the Attorney General to work with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to pursue the reporting of crimes related to domestic violence as a separate Group A offense;

 

     (3)  Department of the Attorney General to work with county police departments to develop an annual report to provide statistics of crimes and offenses relating to domestic violence in Hawaii; and

 

     (4)  Department of the Attorney General to report to the Legislature its efforts and progress made in designated crimes and offenses relating to domestic violence as reportable offenses under the Uniform Crime Reporting program.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from two individuals.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Domestic Violence Action Center.

 

     Your Committees find that under the Uniform Crime Reporting program, the Federal Bureau of Investigation compiles data from states on every incident and arrest in Group A offenses that consist of forty-six specific crimes in twenty-two offense categories.  However, there is currently no classification in the Uniform Crime Reporting program for crimes or offenses of domestic violence.  Statistical data on crimes and offenses of domestic violence will allow policymakers to make educated decisions regarding resources that should be directed toward domestic violence.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs and Judiciary and Labor that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 150 and recommend its adoption.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs and Judiciary and Labor,

 

________________________________

GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair

 

________________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair