Pubdate: Mon, 10 Dec 2007
Source: Times Record (Fort Smith, AR)
Copyright: 2007 Stephens Media Group
Contact: 
http://www.swtimes.com/shared-content/perform/?domain_name=swtimes.com&form_template=letters
Website: http://www.swtimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/529
Author: Mary L. Crider
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?246 (Policing - United States - News)

TASK FORCE SEEKS FUNDS

The 15th Judicial District Drug Task Force is asking  the communities 
in its four-county area to help make up  a $30,000 shortfall in 
federal funding.

The task force falls under the purview of 15th Judicial  District 
Prosecuting Attorney Tom Tatum II of Danville,  and covers Logan, 
Scott, Conway and Yell counties.  Tatum said there are four task 
force staff members --  Director Joe Patterson, a certified officer 
who also works in the field, two field agents and a  secretary/bookkeeper.

"Essentially, we're working four counties with three  men," Tatum said.

Tatum said his agency tries to serve as an  informational resource 
and to aid agencies inside the  15th District as well as work with 
others, including  the Fort Smith area agency. Most of the 
sheriff's  offices don't have personnel to dedicate to 
full-time  drug enforcement, he said.

15th Judicial District Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Eric  Wells of 
Booneville said he thinks the Drug Task Force  "is critical in the 
15th Judicial District -- to have  the extra law enforcement help. 
Meth is a blight on our  country and especially in our community."

Tatum said if the task force doesn't make up the  $30,000 cutback, it 
would have to cut back services  somewhere, possibly by eliminating 
an agent or by not  sending agents into the field as often. Fuel and 
salaries are the agency's biggest expenses, and the  rise in gas 
prices has "really squeezed" the budget, he  said.

So far, the task force has raised about $20,000. Yell  County gave 
$10,000. Conway County contributed $3,500.  The cities of Morrilton, 
Dardanelle, and most recently,  Paris, each committed to $2,500, 
Tatum said. A request  is pending to the Logan County Quorum Court, he said.

A few grants helped with equipment purchases. Yell  County provides 
the agency's building, Tatum said.

"All my sheriffs, Cody Carpenter of Scott County, Steve  Smith of 
Logan County, Mike Smith of Conway County,  Bill Gilkey of Yell 
County, have loaned us vehicles  when we broke down. They've all been 
very supportive,"  Tatum said.

The 15th District's task force isn't alone in its  funding woes.

At one time, the federal Edward Byrne Memorial Justice  Assistance 
Grant program funded all the state's drug  task forces, Tatum said. 
Four years ago, Congress cut  the 15th District's funding by 
one-third, he said. That  was never replaced, and two years ago, it 
made a  smaller cut, Tatum said.

"So we've been operating since on 65 to 70 percent of  our previous 
funding," Tatum said.

The start of the funding drought pre-dates the Iraq  war, but in his 
opinion, he said, drug task force  funding is becoming more difficult 
with the war funding  and with federal funding sources drying up.

Cutbacks in Byrne funding are affecting agencies  nationwide.

In November, Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt called the  federal cuts 
unacceptable in the fight against  methamphetamine in rural Missouri 
and announced that  the state would supplement drug task force 
funding by  $1.8 million.

In March 2006, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., joined  senators Mark 
Dayton, D-Minn., and Saxby Chambliss,  R-Ga., in proposing a budget 
amendment that would  restore the drug task force funding to the $900 
million  level it was at in 2003. President Bush had proposed 
eliminating Byrne grant funding altogether in the 2007  budget.

Tatum said he joined other prosecuting attorneys in a  trip to 
Washington and they were able to maintain  funding then. But on the 
prosecutors' return, he said,  they thought it advisable to do 
something locally to  help alleviate the funding issue.

Wells said in its past session, the state Legislature  passed two 
acts to help fund the drug task forces  through a special assessment 
fee on people convicted of  drug crimes.

State Rep. John Paul Wells, D-Paris, sponsored the  bills that became 
acts 1086 and 1090. They levy  district and circuit court fees of 
$125 against anyone  convicted of or entering guilty or no-contest 
pleas to misdemeanor and felony drug offenses. The collected  fees go 
to Arkansas Department of Finance and  Administration for deposit 
into the State Drug Crime  Enforcement and Prosecution Grant Fund.

Under the acts, grant awards require a minimum 20  percent local 
match and must be used for items like  salaries, overtime, 
maintenance and general operations,  evidentiary drug buys, informant 
and witness compensation, training, fuel. Act 1090 appropriates  $5.5 
million for the purpose for the biennial period  ending June 30, 2009.

Tatum cautioned that it will take years to build up the fund.

The 15th District had planned ahead.

When he first took office, several people told him they  were worried 
about the federal funding, Tatum said. So  the agency began saving in 
anticipation. As a result,  the 15th Judicial District agency wasn't 
as harshly  affected as others in the first couple years of reduced 
funding, he said.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom