Pubdate: Tue, 12 Mar 2002 Source: Austin American-Statesman (TX) Copyright: 2002 Austin American-Statesman Contact: http://www.austin360.com/statesman/editions/today/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/32 Author: Associated Press TEXAS TO GET $30 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS FOR DRUG CONTROL Thirty million dollars in federal grants will be divided among Texas cities and counties for regional drug-control efforts, the governor's office announced Monday. The bulk of the money, $27.6 million, will support 45 narcotics task forces covering 213 Texas counties. The money is made available through the Byrne Formula Grant Program, which assists state agencies and local governments in carrying out programs that offer a high probability of improving the criminal justice system. "Texas is using money seized from drug dealers to increase our investment in programs that help our children avoid the heartbreak of illegal drugs and the devastation these criminals are dealing," Gov. Rick Perry said. Since 1987, Texas has used Byrne funding to establish multicounty narcotics task forces to increase communication and coordination among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth