FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Contact: Paul Tencher, Campaign Manager
802-552-0822
Markowitz Announces Law Enforcement Strategy in Tough Economy, Briefed on St. Albans Anti-Meth Efforts
BURLINGTON – Secretary of State Deb Markowitz met with St. Albans Police Chief Gary Taylor to be briefed on law enforcement efforts combating methamphetamine production. She also announced SafeSecureVT, a series of initiatives designed to help law enforcement and communities during these turbulent economic times.
As a candidate for governor, Deb Markowitz’s top priorities for Law Enforcement in Vermont are to get dangerous prescription drugs out of the hands of our kids; to increase training for police in domestic violence response; to improve law enforcements agencies’ access to information by streamlining the information systems used by Vermont’s various criminal justice agencies; and to make sure our state police have the resources they need to keep Vermonters safe. Four local initiaitves contained in SafeSecureVT will protect Vermonters, support local and statewide law enforcement and create efficiencies that can be reinvested into the safety of our communities, especially during these difficult economic times.
SafeSecureVT
1.24 Hour State Police Coverage
The Vermont State Police serve many roles in our communities. They are often called upon to support local law enforcement on tactical, hostage negotiations and major crime investigations, which stretches their resources thin. As governor, I’ll make sure the Vermont State Police have the resources they need to do their jobs well. This means taking the necessary steps to move towards 24-hour coverage and protection. This will not happen overnight, so I’ll also work with police chiefs and sheriffs to make local jurisdictions more consistent in their enforcement of the law.
2.Streamline Justice Information Infrastructure
In my twelve years managing the Secretary of State’s office, I saw, firsthand, how the use of technology can save the state money and greatly enhance the ability to get the job done efficiently and effectively. Right now, there are eleven separate information systems used in the Vermont criminal justice system, making it impossible for law enforcement and other first responders to cross-reference, research and integrate information. The state is wasting resources by duplicating data entry, and the system is bogging down our front- line police officers, who aren’t getting the information they need. As governor, I’ll cut the waste and reinvest in significant infrastructure upgrades.
3. Crack Down on Pharmaceutical Abuses
As a mom of teenagers, I have seen how drug abuse can wreck families, disrupt communities and destroy lives. Prescription drug abuse and associated collateral crimes (robberies, car break-ins) have become a growing epidemic in communities across Vermont. Law enforcement has been challenged in its efforts to combat this problem with limited resources and tools. I will lead a nationwide effort starting in Vermont to force pharmaceutical companies to manufacture highly addictive drugs in a way that assures they cannot be powdered. I will also make Vermont’s Prescription Drug Monitoring System mandatory to keep track of the prescribing and dispensing of drugs that are most likely to lead to abuse, addiction or patient harm if they are not used properly.
4. Ending the Rise in Domestic Violence in Vermont
In 2000, I worked with Vermont law enforcement, state’s attorneys, victim advocates and survivors of domestic violence to pass through the legislature the Safe at Home Program to protect victims of domestic violence, rape and stalking from being tracked down by their victimizers through our public records system. I got to know many law enforcement officers during the process who felt passionately about the need to end domestic violence in Vermont and to protect its victims. They told me that domestic violence remains one of the most difficult crimes for our law enforcement officers to address effectively and safely, and that we need to work continuously to bolster the training of those who are on the front lines of this issue. After an officer’s initial training, which includes a course on domestic violence response, there is no requirement that officers receive updates to that training, even though laws and research on best practices are constantly refined. As governor, I will work with Vermont’s Criminal Justice Training Council to ensure that every police officer gets the training he or she needs to effectively address incidences of domestic violence. I will work with local law enforcement agencies, the state police, the state’s attorney’s offices and non-profits that serve victims of domestic violence to review existing procedures and protocols, and I will focus on making sure the victims of domestic violence are receiving effective support and services.
