During the 2019 session, state leaders and legislators focused on properly funding and updating laws for our public safety agencies and judicial system, so they can efficiently address crimes that are impacting Georgia. This includes the opioid epidemic and a rise in gang activity, which must be dealt with before either issue impacts even more lives. Additionally, with the rise of technology use in criminal activity, we had to create laws for using drones. Positive strides were made regarding these issues, which will decrease crime and increase safety.To hinder the growing opioid epidemic and gang activity, additional funding was appropriated to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). Within the Fiscal Year 2020 budget, $563,000 will be utilized by the GBI for five scientists and one lab technician within the chemistry division to address the current backlog. Additionally, $995,000 will provide funding for a one-time agent onboarding on the Opioid Task Force, and $500,000 will fund the GBI Gang Task Force, which includes one prosecutor liaison and two senior investigators. Also, in order to cut back on illegal gang activity such as bringing contraband within Georgia’s places of incarceration, we passed Senate Bill 6. Under this legislation, unmanned aircraft systems (drones) are prohibited from flying over places of incarceration. It is now illegal for a drone to photograph or record images over a place of incarceration without authorization from the warden, superintendent, or his/her designated representative.
Another crime that is plaguing our state is human trafficking. With our coastal ports and the world’s busiest airport, we have unfortunately become a hub for human trafficking, specifically sex trafficking of minors and human trafficking for servitude. Senate Bill 158, the “Anti-Human Trafficking Protective Response Act,” was one of Governor Brian P. Kemp’s priorities for the session, which makes numerous changes to how victims of human trafficking and sexual servitude are identified and how the crimes are punished. House Bill 281 increases the penalty for convictions of pimping or pandering to include a minimum of 72 hours of imprisonment, which is an increase from 24 hours of mandatory imprisonment. Under House Bill 281, if a second or subsequent offense is committed, the person will be charged with a felony and sentenced to between one and 10 years of imprisonment. With these new enforcement procedures, our state is ensuring that those convicted of human trafficking receive the strongest possible sentence, while victims have access to the care and resources they need.
Along with hardening our stance on specific crimes, we also wanted to ensure the safety of the records that are maintained to prosecute a crime. Under current law, an investigating law enforcement agency is only required to keep physical evidence for 10 years. With the passage of House Bill 282, the investigating law enforcement agency where a victim reports a sexual assault must maintain all physical evidence that contains biological material for 30 years from the date of arrest, or seven years from the completion of the sentence, whichever occurs last. If no arrests are made, the evidence shall be maintained for 50 years. By keeping evidence for a longer period of time, our public safety community and judicial system will have the proper resources to prosecute those who commit these crimes.
Throughout my political career and my service as a volunteer firefighter, I have always made it a priority to address the safety of our citizens by supporting legislation that will decrease crime, deter offenders, and make our local communities safer. While we can pass laws, it is important to note that those who truly keep us safe are the members of the public safety community: military, law enforcement, emergency medical services, and firefighting communities. Please take a moment to recognize and thank these brave men and women.
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