NEWS RELEASE

For further information please contact: Capt. J. Tim Hull
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Q3081
March 4, 2008

Emphasis: Patrol Superintendent Keathley Traveled To Capitol Hill To Press Congress For Funding For Local Law Enforcement Programs

Colonel James F. Keathley, of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, joined more than 100 law enforcement officials from across the country on Capitol Hill today to urge Members of Congress to restore funding for critical law enforcement programs. In February, the administration released its proposed budget for 2009 fiscal year, which cut more than $1.98 billion from state, tribal, and local law enforcement assistance programs. These cuts continue a disturbing trend by both the administration and Congress of significantly slashing funding for state, tribal, and local enforcement programs while at the same time demanding that they play a larger role in protecting the homeland. The budget cuts bring the funding for these programs to a 10-year low.

“The proposed budget gutted funding for tried and true programs that we count on to keep our communities safe,” said Colonel Keathley. “These cuts really affect the state of Missouri so I worked with more than 100 law enforcement executives in Washington, urging our representatives to return money to these programs. I hope that Congress listened and will help us protect our hometowns and our homeland.”

Based on an analysis of the proposed FY 2009 budget, some of the most successful programs are again on the chopping block, including the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program, the Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program at the Department of Justice, and the Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program (LETPP) at the Department of Homeland Security. Each of these programs has allowed state, tribal, local, and university law enforcement agencies to increase their abilities and improve their effectiveness. These programs have strengthened the core capabilities of law enforcement agencies and have greatly improved their crime fighting and anti-terrorism efforts. Instead of shoring them up to keep communities safe, the proposed budget completely eliminated the COPS Program (a reduction of $587 million), the JAG Program (a cut of $170 million), and the LETPP program (a cut of $442 million) in the Fiscal Year 2009 budget. In addition, the proposed budget eliminated $1.58 billion from 28 other programs that support state, tribal, and local law enforcement. When compared to FY 2002 funding levels, the administration’s FY 2009 budget proposal represents a reduction of over $3.4 billion, or 90 percent.

Last year, the U.S. Congress eliminated funding for the Missouri Sheriff’s Methamphetamine Relief Team (MoSMART). Since 2000, federal funding has supported MoSMART efforts, including personnel, training and equipment, as well as prevention and public awareness. The federal funding was eliminated after Congress decided that fighting meth in states like Missouri was not a priority. Gov. Matt Blunt called on Congress to restore this critical federal funding that supports sheriff’s offices and drug task force members in the fight against meth.

Gov. Blunt called on the Missouri General Assembly to act where Washington has failed and to provide more than $1.8 million in supplemental funding to prevent the elimination of MoSMART and provide vital resources to drug task forces and sheriff’s departments throughout Missouri. Both the House and Senate responded to Gov. Blunt’s call to save Missouri’s meth-fighting task forces with a unanimous vote in both chambers, and in February the governor signed the bill to provide this critical funding.

Founded in 1893, the International Association of Chiefs of Police is the world’s oldest and largest association of law enforcement executives with more than 22,000 members in nearly 100 countries.

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