Pubdate: Mon, 03 Mar 2008
Source: Iowa City Press-Citizen (IA)
Copyright: 2008 Iowa City Press-Citizen
Contact:  http://www.press-citizen.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1330
Author: Lee Hermiston
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/Byrne  (Edward Byrne Memorial 
Justice Assistance Grant)

POLICE FIGHT TO GET FUNDING LEVELS UP

Rifles, shotguns, pounds of drugs and loads of cash  lined a table in 
the garage of the University of Iowa  Department of Public Safety 
headquarters Monday  morning.

However, local police warned Congressman Dave Loebsack,  D-Iowa, that 
without federal funding, those dangerous  guns and weapons and the 
people carrying them will  remain on the streets.

Loebsack hosted a roundtable meeting with members of  the Iowa City 
and Coralville Police, Johnson County  Sheriff's Office and the UI 
Department of Public Safety  to discuss how funding cuts to the 
Edward Byrne  Memorial Justice Assistance Grants could affect them.

Loebsack said that for the Fiscal Year 2008, funding  for JAG will 
drop 67 percent from $660 million to $170  million. In Fiscal Year 
2009, only $200 million will be  allocated to the grant, which funds 
departments and  agency task forces to tackle drug-related programs.

"This is a critical program for a lot of people,"  Loebsack said.

The freshman congressman said he is trying to  supplement the $490 
million necessary to bring the  grants back up to their normal level.

"We need $660 million," he said. "And we need more than that."

Iowa City Police Chief Sam Hargadine said that funding  is essential 
for police departments to do their job,  pointing to the drugs, cash 
and guns on the table.

"This is roughly one year's worth of work for the drug  task force," 
Hargadine said. "If we don't get the  funding next year, what you see 
will be out in the  community."

Hargadine said that there is an ongoing battle in the  community 
between police and drug dealers to keep the  streets drug and violence-free.

"It comes down to do we win or do the drug dealers  win?" Hargadine 
said. "Right now, it looks like the  drug dealers win."

Johnson County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek said that while  drug dealing, 
particularly meth and cocaine  trafficking, are a national problem, 
they are dealt  with on the local level.

"It's a huge problem that locals end up dealing with,"  Pulkrabek 
said. "(Legislators) have to give use funding  to help get this off 
the street. For the protection of  our families, these are the things 
we have to keep off  of the street."

Coralville Lt. Shane Kron said the funding to local  agencies and 
particularly the Multi-Agency Drug Task  Force not only helps to keep 
drugs and weapons out of  the community, but also the people involved 
in the  violent drug trade.

"If we lose funding, it's not just the dope and the  violence," Kron 
said. "It's the people. These people do  a lot of damage. These are 
seriously bad people. They  have to be taken out of play. I think 
that's what the  task force does."

Loebsack said his bill, the Byrne-JAG Funding  Restoration Act, has 
bipartisan support on the House of  Representatives. But until it's 
passed and money is  restored to the program, he will keep working to 
drum  up support.

"I'm going to keep fighting on this thing," Loebsack  said.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom