Best news I've heard all day.
Posted on 07/30/2003 10:25:28 AM PDT by Brian S
By Ann Pierceall Herald-Whig Staff Writer
Regional drug task forces could lose some federal funding if the Bush administration goes ahead with its plan to convert money earmarked for the war on drugs to fight the war on terror.
The White House has eliminated money for the Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Program for the third straight year. Congress has restored funding the past two years, which is overseen by the Justice Department, and is attempting to do so again.
Byrne money is a matching grant, with 75 percent provided by the government and 25 percent from the grant recipient. The administration wants to merge the Byrne money with Local Law Enforcement Block Grant funds and reduce overall funding to $600 million from $900 million.
The Northeast Missouri Narcotics Task Force received more than $200,000 in grant money last year, more than two-thirds of its overall budget. The West Central Illinois Task Force received about $170,000 last year, with another $70,000 grant covering the rest of its budget.
“That money is so important,” Capt. Doug Rader of the Northeast Missouri Narcotics Task Force said. “The counties and cities in Northeast Missouri do not have the budgets to fully support the narcotics task force.”
Rader said the task force did not receive Community Oriented Policing Services money this year, which meant eliminating one position.
This comes at a time when task force caseloads are increasing. Rader said the agency has arrested more than 180 people the past two years, and agents made 85 arrests during the first six months of this year.
Illinois State Police Master Sgt. Glenn Schwartz co-directs the West Central Illinois Task Force. He said about half of the task force membership is made up of smaller agencies, and the Byrne grant helps pay for salaries of officers and for most of the support staff.
“We would be hurting” if the Byrne money is eliminated or reduced, Schwartz said “With the Byrne grant, probably all of the smaller agencies would not be able to afford to participate in the task force.”
The West Central Illinois Task Force handled 186 drug cases that resulted in 160 arrests between July 1, 2002, and June 30, 2003. Many of those arrests involved the sale or manufacture of methamphetamine.
Adams County Sheriff Brent Fischer is policy board chairman of the West Central Illinois Task Force. He said drug enforcement is costly, especially meth, which requires officers to go through special training. Cleaning up meth labs also is costly, he said.
“It’s not easy for some of us to do (alone),” he said. “That’s why the task forces are there.”
The U.S. House has restored funding for the Byrne grant program, but the Senate has not acted on the measure. Appropriation talks are expected to continue into September. The new federal budget year begins Oct. 1.
White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said merging the grants “makes sense” because they fund “nearly the same law enforcement activities.” He said the change “redirects” some resources “due to the need to focus on counter terrorism efforts.”
“Certainly the president’s focus in the aftermath of Sept. 11 is to make sure our nation is preventing attacks and protecting our citizens from terrorists,” Stanzel said. “So the resources have been redirected to counter terrorism efforts.”
U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Missouri, believes it’s important to keep funding at its current level. He is among two dozen congressmen who sent a letter to members of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee urging that the Byrne funding remain intact.
“The grants make up a huge percentage” of agency budgets, he said. “Some of these departments are quite dependent on the monies.
“The only way we can make the case is to talk about the successes. To me it’s important to tout those successes to the appropriators. ... Otherwise, a lot of these agencies are having to contemplate turning out the lights.”
Contact Staff Writer Ann Pierceall at apierceall@whig.com or (217)223-5100
The administration wants to merge the Byrne money with Local Law Enforcement Block Grant funds and reduce overall funding to $600 million from $900 million.
So which is it??? Is the money being "eliminated" (which implies completely wiping out) or reduced?
Some of these departments are quite dependent on the monies.
Like junkies in need of a fix.
Get a job.
Best news I've heard all day.
So is Bush the reason that the steering wheel gets so hot in the summer?
Close. Bush is the reason it gets hot, cold, floods, snows, kudzu, and everything else. All because he didn't sign Kyoto. ;)
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