U.S. Senator Ken Salazar

Member of the Agriculture, Energy and Veterans Affairs Committees

 

2300 15th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510

 

 

For Immediate Release

October 16, 2007

CONTACT:Stephanie Valencia – 202-228-3630
Cody Wertz 303-350-0032

 

 Sen. Salazar Fights for Safety in Our Local Communities in CJS Appropriations Bill

Sen. Salazar works to include over $2.9 million for fighting Meth and making Colorado communities safer; Fights to maintain program for hiring of additional police officers

WASHINGTON, DC – As Colorado’s former Attorney General and the state’s top law enforcement officer, Senator Salazar knows how important it is for our local law enforcement agencies to have the resources they need to do their jobs. This week, as the United States Senate continues consideration of the Commerce, Justice, and Science Department Appropriations bill, Senator Salazar was able to secure over $2.9 million in funding for Colorado to combat meth usage in communities throughout the state and also secured funding for several programs that will keep Colorado’s communities and schools safer. Senator Salazar also included critical language urging the Bureau of Prisons to provide the funding necessary to address safety issues at Supermax correctional facility.

“Meth is poisoning our communities and is especially rampant in rural Colorado,” said Senator Salazar. “This bill will provide critical funds to the arsenals of those who on the ground fighting the meth scourge. I will continue to fight for those funds and anything additional that will give our local law enforcement the tools they need to do their jobs and keep our communities safe.”

The bill also includes over $550 million for Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), which provides grants to tribal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. These funds go towards community policing initiatives, which provides necessary resources for the law enforcement professionals on the streets so they can build relationships with the people they serve. By earning the trust of the members of their communities and making those individuals stakeholders in their own safety, community policing makes law enforcement safer and more efficient.

Additionally Senator Salazar fought to include $110 million for the Universal Hiring Program (UHP), which would allow local law enforcement agencies to hire additional officers. The Bush Administration had previously completely cut funding for this program over the last couple years, to the detriment of local law enforcement agencies. The Universal Hiring Program, administered under the COPS program, allows local law enforcement agencies to apply for funds to put more cops on the beat. 628 officers have been hired under this program in Colorado in the last ten years of its existence.

“I fought to restore funding for the Universal Hiring Program because it has brought over 600 additional police officers to the streets in Colorado,” said Senator Salazar. “It is a highly successful program and it has provided many resources for local law enforcement to fill in the gaps to keep our communities safe.”

Below is a listing of Colorado specific projects Senator Salazar has fought for in the CJS Appropriations Bill:

Combating Meth Production and Use

  • $150,000 22nd Judicial District Drug Task Force
  • $25,000 San Luis Valley Drug Task Force
  • $400,000 The North Metro Task Force
  • $100,000 Delta/Montrose Drug Task Force
  • $100,000 Eagle County Drug Task Force
  • $100,000 Greater Routt and Moffat Narcotics Enforcement Team
  • $150,000 Weld County Drug Task Force
  • $125,000 The West Metro Drug Task Force
  • $150,000 Larimer County Drug Task Force
  • $100,000 National Jewish Methamphetamine Intervention and Protection Program for Children

Keeping Our Communities and Schools Safer

  • $350,000 for the Colorado Schools Safety Program – University of Colorado, Boulder
  • $300,000 for the Denver Police Department Gang Bureau
  • $200,000 City of Montrose, Colorado Dispatch Center

Investing in Criminal Justice Infrastructure

  • Language urging the Bureau of Prisons to allocate the funding necessary to address safety issues at Supermax.
  • $400,000 National Center for Audio/Video Forensics at University of Colorado Health Sciences Center

The bill provides $56.6 billion in funds for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, the National Atmospheric and Space Administration (NASA), the National Science Foundation and nine other federal agencies. After this bill is considered in the Senate, it will go to conference committee with the House-passed bill where the difference between the two bills will be reconciled.

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