Pubdate: 13 Nov, 1999
Source: Tulsa World (OK)
Copyright: 1999, World Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.tulsaworld.com/
Author: The Associated Press

FUNDS TO HELP TULSA CUT DRUG LABS

TULSA -- Tulsa police plan to use $216,541 in federal funds to eliminate or 
reduce the number of clandestine drug labs operating in the city, it was 
announced Friday.

Police Chief Ron Palmer said the money will be used to buy safety equipment 
and train officers about investigation and cleanup of illegal 
methamphetamine labs. The labs are a growing problem in the city and across 
the state.

"We also want to warn and educate retailers in the area that sell 
ingredients to methamphetamine about what to do if they have a person 
coming in wanting to buy large quantities of those ingredients," he said.

The $215,541 is the largest portion of $1.2 million in Local Law 
Enforcement Block Grant money that Palmer and Mayor Susan Savage announced 
Friday. The funded programs are being administered by the Tulsa Police 
Department, Urban Development, Park Department and Municipal Court.

Palmer said some funding will to go to continue programs that have proved 
successful, such as Operation Nite-Lite and the Ministerial Coalition, 
Palmer said.

In Operation Nite-Lite, which went into effect last fall, Tulsa police 
officers and Tulsa County sheriff's deputies go with probation officers 
from the Juvenile Bureau District Court to make unannounced visits to the 
homes of probationers.

The targets are between the ages of 14 and 22. The goal is to hold the 
youths to the terms of their probation and attempt to prevent crimes. That 
program will be allocated $125,000.

The Ministerial Coalition will be given $15,000 for officers' salaries, 
daily operations, training, recruitment and crime prevention materials.

The Child Abuse Network is getting $104,826 for teams that conduct child 
abuse investigations. Those teams include police, prosecutors, state 
Department of Human Service workers and medical professionals.

Other grant amounts include $85,000 for automating the police records 
management system; $55,000 for gun court for a court program to reduce 
firearm offenses by juveniles; $100,000 for education on mental health for 
law enforcement and case management workers; $100,000 to teach parenting 
skills to incarcerated women, and $6,545 for security lighting, intercom 
and security cameras for high crime areas.

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