Byrne-JAG Grants also funded at twice FY08 Level

Chuck Canterbury, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, welcome this weekend’s news that a deal had been worked out to pass the economic stimulus package, which includes more than $1 billion for the Edward J. Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne-JAG) program and $1 billion for the hiring program administered by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

“We had quite a fight on our hands long into Friday night and throughout the weekend,” Canterbury explained.  “Senators were looking to reduce the overall cost of the House bill and many were looking to cut critical funding for State and local law enforcement.  Fortunately, most of the targeted funds survived and should be part of the final bill.”

The House bill, H.R. 1, the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” passed in late January on a straight party-line vote.  The Senate has spent the last two weeks debating its own bill and trying to craft an amendment that would get them the sixty votes needed to pass the bill.  Senators E. Benjamin Nelson (D-NE) and Susan M. Collins (R-ME) offered a language that should attract sixty votes.

“These are critical funds, and it is entirely appropriate for them to be included in this package,”  Canterbury explained.  “The COPS hiring program will be able to add 13,000 more officers to the streets over the next three years, and the Byrne-JAG program will support a diverse range of law enforcement, prosecutorial, and other criminal justice initiatives in communities across the country, including multijurisdictional drug and gang task forces, cold case units, identity theft investigations, school violence prevention programs, services for threatened jurors, witness protection programs, and victims’ rights and hate crime programs.”

The other programs funded in proposed amendment are as follows:

• $1.05 billion for the Edward J. Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Programs;
• $1 billion for the hiring program administered by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services;
• $440 million for competitive grants to support prevention and intervention programs, as well as certain prosecutorial activities
• $300 million for assistance to tribal law enforcement;
• $300 million for programs established by the Violence Against Women Act;
• $150 million for assistance to law enforcement in rural areas, to prevent and combat crime, especially drug-related crime
• $100 million to combat criminal activity stemming from the southwest border;
• $100 million for victims’ assistance programs; and
• $50 million for internet crimes against children initiatives.

       
The Senate expects to vote to end debate on the measure on Monday and to pass the final bill sometime early next week.  The differences between the House-passed bill (H.R. 1) and the expected Senate bill (S. 1) will be reconciled by a conference committee.

“Key members of both houses have already reached out to secure our support and help in making sure these funds remain in the final bill,” Canterbury said.  “We’ve come out on top after a tough fight, but there’s still some battles to be fought ahead.”