Montrose - Daily Press

Katharhynn Heidelberg

Daily Press News Editor

WASHINGTON — President Bush's 2008 federal budget proposal is out and Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar is worried that its elimination of critical grant programs will hurt state law enforcement efforts.

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Congress has not yet adopted the 2008 budget. But, Salazar said Wednesday during a conference call with reporters, the president's proposed budget would eliminate both the Community Oriented Policing Service program and Justice Assistance Grants.

"I have some concerns about cuts that have been proposed," he said, calling the president's proposal a step in the wrong direction.

In 2007, Colorado received $657,000 in funding under the COPS program and $4.4 million in JAG funding.

"If cut, the program that has put 100,000 police officers on the street is gone," Salazar, said of the COPS funding.

He said the administration had proposed cutting it last year, but through bipartisan effort, funding was restored to the final 2007 budget.

Montrose has in past years received JAG money in the form of a Byrne grant, which is used to help fund operations at the Delta/Montrose Drug Task Force.

Law enforcement agencies in Delta and Montrose counties contribute an officer and his or her pay and equipment; the Byrne grant helps pay for operating costs. Though the initial grant allocation was $80,000, it dropped last year to $52,000.

The local task force did get a boost from the promise of additional federal funds under the Meth Hot Spots Program, for which both Salazar and his Republican counterpart, Sen. Wayne Allard, pushed.

Montrose Police Chief Tom Chinn said Wednesday the possible elimination of the JAG moneys would impact the task force, whose Byrne funding expires at the end of September. "We'll have to make up those funds from somewhere else," he said.

"I don't think we can do away with the drug task force. If we couldn't make it up, that would be a possibility and I would hate for that to happen. We're going to have to do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn't happen."

Last year, the task force made dozens of arrests, including 13 at a single drug sting. Agent Jack Haynes said the unit worked 160 cases, roughly double the number worked in previous years. He said although the task force received a shot in the arm with the addition of a Delta Police officer in January, there is more work than available manpower and funding.

"The reality is they need to come up with more funding, not take away funding," Haynes said. "Especially in rural parts of not only Colorado, but the country, the only way these task forces can really exist is by some type of funding assistance. Local agencies just don't have that kind of money."

Diminished federal funding for next year would have a "serious impact" on the task force, he said.

Montrose County Undersheriff Kevin Walters said the MCSO hadn't specifically utilized either the COPS or JAG funding options in 2006, but the potential loss of task force money would be "devastating."

"The problem is, these local departments are smaller departments. It would be really hard for them to proactively work drug cases if it was solely upon them, while now they can rely on the task force. I think it would be devastating if we lost that task force."

Salazar, a former state attorney general, said he would fight for continued Byrne funding. "We will be pushing to include the Byrne grant program in this next year. I have significant personal experience in this area.

"I think the Byrne grant has been very effective in breaking down barriers we have between jurisdictions in law enforcement. We will be working to make sure they are restored in the budget."

Chinn said that while drug task force funding was critical, agencies should not become addicted to grants because of the transient nature of their funding. "They're good for start-up and sometimes to test different programs, but I do think there comes a time when we shouldn't depend on them," he said.

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