Adopted at the 119th Annual Conference

San Diego, CA
October 3, 2012

Supporting Restored Funding for State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance
Submitted by: Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Committee
NDD.017.a12

WHEREAS, federal funding to state, local and tribal law enforcement is an integral part of successful drug enforcement; and

WHEREAS, the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) is the only source of federal funding available to local and state law enforcement for multi-jurisdictional drug enforcement; and

WHEREAS, JAG funding has averaged $461 million per fiscal year since Congress started appropriating funding for the program in FY 2005; and WHEREAS, Congress reduced funding for JAG by 17 percent in FY 2011, and imposed a 0.2 percent across-the-board recession; and

WHEREAS, while the FY 2012 appropriation for the JAG program was higher than the FY 2011 enacted funding, when $100 million in set-asides are subtracted from the total the FY 2012 appropriation, the funding for the actual JAG program was $352 million, a reduction from FY 2011; and

WHEREAS, the State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance account administered by the Department of Justice, which provides assistance to improve the functioning of state, local, and tribal criminal justice systems, is potentially facing a 13.8 percent cut in FY 2013; and

WHEREAS, numerous state, local, and tribal jurisdictions are facing significant budget cuts that undermine drug enforcement efforts; and WHEREAS, for example, the State of California imposed a $71 million budget cut to its $77 million budget for the Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement, resulting in the loss of an additional $40 million in matching federal funds; and

WHEREAS, for example, the Missouri Sheriff Methamphetamine Action Relief Team program suffered $1.5 million in cuts, jeopardizing the ability of law enforcement to address widespread methamphetamine production and distribution in that jurisdiction; and

WHEREAS, for example, funding in the State of Montana was eradicated for the Northwest Drug Task Force, which was dedicated to targeting, disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations in Western Montana; and

WHEREAS, for example, the State of Nebraska's III-CORPS Drug Task Force is facing a 25 percent to 30 percent cut in funding, which could result in a $90,000 reduction in their $302,000 budget in FY 2013; and

WHEREAS, for example, budget cuts in the State of New York have caused the Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement to lay off drug investigators across the state; and

WHEREAS, for example, the Oregon State Police face budget cuts that could result in the loss of 25 detectives from regional drug task forces; and

WHEREAS, for example, in 2011, $1.5 million in grant funding was eliminated for the Drug Task Force in Washington State, which, helped remove in excess of 36,000 marijuana plants from Columbia County, combated narcotics sales, eradicated methamphetamine laboratories, conducted investigations, and combated drug trafficking; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) duly assembled at its 119th Annual Conference in San Diego, California strongly urges the United States Congress and the Administration to provide continued funding for State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance to fully fund state, local and tribal and multi-jurisdictional drug task forces so that law enforcement may continue to effectively combat the destructive effects of drug crime in our communities.