Pubdate: Mon, 24 Mar 2003
Source: Advocate, The (LA)
Copyright: 2003 The Advocate, Capital City Press
Contact:  http://www.theadvocate.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2
Author: Penny Brown Roberts

WAR ON TERROR MAY CUT POLICE FUNDING

Mayor Worries About Money For Community Policing

Mayor Bobby Simpson isn't worried about whether Baton Rouge police officers 
and firefighters will have the proper face mask respirators, chemical 
escape suits or hazardous materials expertise should terrorists decide to 
retaliate for the war in Iraq.

That, he knows, is bought and paid for.

What does concern the mayor, however, is the future availability of 
resources that facilitate fighting those crimes that aren't exactly fodder 
these days for CNN, but no less troubling to those who live and work in 
this community: Drugs, theft, robbery, corruption and murder.

Much of the federal funding for first responders -- police, fire, medical 
services and others on the front lines of anti-terrorism -- is being 
diverted from existing law enforcement allocations for such programs as 
community policing and innovative anti-drug programs, a number of local, 
state and national officials contend. The reason: It's being repackaged as 
"new" homeland security resources.

"What we're hearing there isn't really a whole lot of new money in the 
current budget for Homeland Security," said Simpson, who has claimed 
community policing and technological advances in law enforcement -- all of 
it funded by the now-diminishing allocations -- as a major accomplishment 
during his administration. "Everybody's worried about how that's going to 
affect us down the road."

Specifically, the 2003 federal budget includes $3.5 billion in funding for 
local communities to expend on homeland security equipment and training.

But it contains only $1.2 billion in new money, according to several 
congressional analyses. And only $1.3 billion of the total allocation can 
be used for state and local emergency response plans, Homeland Security 
Secretary Tom Ridge has said.

Nearly two-thirds of the total amount was diverted from existing law 
enforcement programs, according to documents provided by the Senate 
Appropriations Committee. That includes $1.1 billion from the Community 
Oriented Policing Services, $400 billion from the general local law 
enforcement block grants, and $595 million from the Byrne block grant 
program for innovative crime and illegal drug fighting programs.

The new homeland security funding also includes $796 million from existing 
Federal Emergency Management Agency funding for emergency response.

Louisiana is anticipating a $6.6 million slice of the homeland security 
pie, said the Homeland Security division of the state's Office of Emergency 
Preparedness. What isn't known, however, is whether or not police and fire 
departments throughout south Louisiana will be served a smaller entree in 
the form of cuts to existing programs on which they have come to rely. 
Officials are bracing for it.

"We're still waiting to see on how all of this will come out in the wash," 
said Tom Ed McHugh, executive director of the Louisiana Municipal 
Association. "If it just means replacing one program with a stronger 
program, and we ultimately end up with more dollars on the local level for 
police, fire, and EMS, then I'm in favor of it. But if it means a loss of 
funds, that's something we'll have to address."

According to the latest U.S. Department of Justice statistics, Baton Rouge 
has received approximately $1.4 million in COPS funding, while the East 
Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office gleaned $1.8 million. Other cities and 
parishes throughout south Louisiana have benefited as well, such as St. 
Landry Parish, which received $781,000; the City of Lafayette, $1.3 
million; and the City of Denham Springs, $507,000.

The diminishing block grants come at a time when Louisiana and many of its 
cities are strapped for revenues. At the same time, the FBI -- which 
traditionally lent resources and expertise to local law enforcement -- has 
been completely redirected to anti-terrorism duty.

"This will further weaken local law enforcement's ability to deal with 
drugs, racketeering, and other major national public safety issues," said 
Cameron Whitman, director of policy and federal relations for the National 
League of Cities in Washington, D.C.

"You don't just stop doing all of those things the moment you have the 
additional responsibility of dealing with terrorism."

In Baton Rouge, the block grants have been used to upgrade technology, such 
as the purchase of laptops for every patrol car, interfacing with every law 
enforcement agency in the parish. Funds also have been used to automate the 
prisoner processing unit, fingerprinting system and reporting system so 
that law enforcement officers can spend more time in the community.

Block grants are preferable, law enforcement officials say, because they 
give communities discretion over how the funds are spent based on local 
needs. By comparison, the homeland security funding is earmarked for 
specialized equipment generally needed only in the event of a chemical or 
biological attack.

Local law enforcement recently received a $320,000 grant through the Office 
of Emergency Preparedness, for example -- but it had to be spent on 
full-face mask respirators and chemical escape suits that have been issued 
to every police officer.

"It will affect us if we're forced to spend monies a certain way that 
previously we were given discretion over," said Cpl. Don Kelly of the Baton 
Rouge Police Department. "Most agencies prefer a block grant concept; it's 
been very successful for us."

Two weeks ago, Simpson met with Louisiana's congressional delegation to 
propose that homeland security funds be distributed as is FEMA disaster aid 
- -- reimbursing communities for expenses. Said Simpson: "We already have a 
model in place."

There are those who believe the funding is adequate. Not every small town 
in America needs to be fully equipped for anti-terrorism efforts, they 
noted, lest "homeland security" quickly become a euphemism for "waste of 
taxpayers' money."

"It's true that some funding was diverted in the budget proposal," said 
U.S. Rep. David Vitter, R-Metairie, who serves on the House Appropriations 
Committee. "But the other side of the coin is that homeland security 
funding has doubled in the recent past. There have been major increases in 
funding because of new threats, and new efforts that need to be made in 
light of those threats."

Nevertheless, Vitter said he is closely watching the budget process for 
2004 to ensure that law enforcement funding "provides maximum flexibility 
to folks on the front line."

The Louisiana delegation is working on funding earmarked for homeland 
security in Louisiana, including an $11 million proposal for Louisiana 
State Police homeland security control center, $1.2 million for the 
Louisiana Guard Terrorism Program, and $20 million for a Louisiana State 
University Domestic Terrorism Training Program.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens