Section 1602-Z.2. Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods Program.
(a) Establishment.--The Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods Program is established in the commission.
(b) Purpose.--The program shall provide grants to law enforcement agencies so that law enforcement agencies have the necessary tools and resources to improve clearance rates of homicides and other violent crimes.
(c) Applications.--The commission shall prescribe the form and manner in which an application may be submitted to receive a grant under the program. The commission shall accept applications on an annual basis.
(d) Use of grants.--A law enforcement agency may use a grant under the program for any of the following:
(1) Retaining and training of existing personnel responsible for investigating homicides and other violent crimes and costs associated with the retention and training.
(2) Acquiring, upgrading or replacing technology or equipment related to evidence collection, evidence processing and forensic testing related to homicides and other violent crimes.
(3) Retaining and training of existing personnel responsible for the collection, processing and forensic testing of evidence related to homicides and other violent crimes and costs associated with the retention and training.
(4) Retaining and training of existing personnel analyzing homicides and other violent crimes, including the temporal and geographic trends and costs associated with the retention and training.
(5) Upgrading record management systems to achieve compliance with the reporting requirements specified in this article.
(6) Supporting witnesses to help in the investigations of homicides and other violent crimes.
(7) Ensuring compliance with the reporting requirements of this article.
(e) Supplemental nature of grants.--Grants allocated through the program shall be used to supplement and not supplant existing funding for law enforcement agencies.
(f) Subsequent applications.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a law enforcement agency from making an application to receive a grant under the program in a subsequent year for the same purpose and amount as in the prior year.
(g) Geographic diversity.--
(1) The commission shall ensure that grants awarded under the program are geographically dispersed throughout this Commonwealth.
(2) The commission shall reserve not less than 10% of available grants under the program for law enforcement agencies serving rural communities.
(h) Multijurisdictional applications.--Two or more otherwise eligible law enforcement agencies representing different jurisdictions within this Commonwealth may submit a joint application for a grant under this program.
(1602-Z.2 added July 12, 2026, P.L.265, No.21)