Pubdate: Sun, 26 Mar 2006
Source: Quincy Herald-Whig (IL)
Copyright: 2006 Quincy Herald-Whig
Contact:  http://www.whig.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3360
Author: Ann Pierceall
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

NORTHEAST MISSOURI NARCOTICS TASK FORCE FACES LOSS OF FUNDING

The Northeast Missouri Narcotics Task Force is one of 29 such units in
the state that could face steep cuts unless Congress restores federal
funding.

President Bush has eliminated funding for Byrne-JAG grants each year
in his annual budget. The grants are used by states to help law
enforcement combat illegal drugs, and Congress has previously been
able to restore some funding each year.

Lawmakers want to add $900 million for the grants to the federal
fiscal year 2007 budget that begins Oct. 1. Congress has tried to
maintain funding at about that level for several years now.

States administer the money, distributing it based on grant
applications from individual task forces and law enforcement agencies
in each state.

Eric Shepherd is program manager for the Criminal Justice/Law
Enforcement grant program, also known as NCAP, with the Missouri
Department of Public Safety, which administers the federal money.

Shepherd said Missouri received $9 million in Byrne-JAG funding in
2004, but that fell to $6.8 million in 2005 and $4.1 million in 2006.
He said funding is expected to drop to $3.4 million in the federal
fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, 2007. Missouri's fiscal year begins on
July 1, nine months later.

"We're OK for this year," said Marion County Sheriff John
Waldschlager, who is president of the Northeast Missouri Narcotics
Task Force Board. "It's 2007 we're concerned with."

The federal funding covers about 75 percent of the Northeast Missouri
Narcotics Task Force annual budget. The unit has seen its funding rise
nearly $100,000 since 2001, despite the steady decline of available
funds for the state from Washington, D.C. That's because if money
granted to local agencies isn't used it returns to a pool of NCAP money.

However, funding for the unit this year will drop to $338,000 from
$365,000 in 2005, if the task force's grant request is fully approved.
Capt. Tim Forney, head of the Northeast Missouri unit, said that could
mean eliminating positions.

"If (Congress) doesn't take action on this, we're basically going to
have to bite the bullet," Forney said.

The task force handled 1,070 drug cases and made 823 arrests from 2001
to 2005. The unit is charged with drug enforcement and education in
Lewis, Marion, Ralls, Monroe and Shelby counties. It has handled 85
cases since Jan. 1, which puts it ahead of last year's pace.

Waldschlager said federal funding is crucial.

"If we have to disband our task force, people in Northeast Missouri
are not going to like what happens," he said. "The small (law
enforcement) agencies don't have the manpower to assign someone to
work these (drug cases) full-time. It would literally be a
hit-and-miss proposition without a task force."

The Missouri House recently approved $750,000 in funding for the
Missouri Sheriff's Methamphetamine Relief Team program, and state Rep.
Rachel Bringer, D-Palmyra, hopes Northeast Missouri receives some of
those funds.

The U.S. Senate has approved $900 million being restored to the 2007
federal budget, and now it's up to the U.S. House. House Budget
Committee Chairman Jim Nussle, R-Iowa, supports such a move, as do
several members of the Missouri Congressional delegation.

"It is unclear to me why the administration continues to propose cuts
to these important tools in the war on drugs," said Rep. Kenny
Hulshof, R-Columbia, who sits on the Budget Committee.

"A top priority for the federal government should be assisting strong
and effective local community police departments and drug task forces
whose goal is to thwart drug trafficking."

Rep. Ike Skelton, a Missouri Democrat, said the Byrne-JAG money "has a
record of success" in drug enforcement and that he was "disappointed
that the president's proposed budget zeroes out funding."

Forney said efforts are under way for local and county governments to
create a law enforcement restitution fund, which would essentially
take court-ordered fines and put them in a fund that can be designated
for law enforcement use.

U.S. Sen. Jim Talent, R-Mo., also hopes his Combat Meth Act will
provide some local funding for law enforcement agencies.

Bringer, a one-time assistant Marion County prosecutor, said local
task forces do "an outstanding job" when funding is there.

"You could clearly see the impact they are having," she said.
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MAP posted-by: Tom