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U.S.
Senator Ken Salazar
Member: Finance, Agriculture, Energy, Ethics and Aging Committees
2300 15th
Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO
80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C.
20510
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Sen.
Salazar Secures Funding for Critical Colorado Law Enforcement and Public
Safety Programs
WASHINGTON, DC
– Yesterday, the U.S. Senate Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) Appropriations
Subcommittee unanimously approved the CJS Appropriations Bill for Fiscal
Year 2009. At the request of United States Senator Salazar, the Committee
included over $2.3 million for Colorado anti-meth projects and public
safety and law enforcement programs. The Committee also included language
directing the Bureau of Prisons to address infrastructure and staffing
needs at the Federal Administrative Maximum Prison (Supermax) in Florence,
Colorado.
Overall, the CJS Appropriations
Bill provides $57.9 billion for the Departments of Commerce and Justice,
the National Atmospheric and Space Administration (NASA), the National
Science Foundation and nine other independent agencies.
“Meth is poisoning
communities across Colorado, and is particularly rampant in rural counties
and small towns,” said Senator Salazar. “This bill will provide critical
funds to raise public awareness of the dangers of meth use and to help
our peace officers fight the meth scourge. It also puts pressure on
the Bureau of Prisons to address the staffing shortages and security
infrastructure needs at the Supermax Prison. I will continue working
to ensure our local, state, and federal law enforcement professionals
have the tools they need to do their jobs and keep our communities safe.
Below is a listing of the
Colorado law enforcement programs for which Senator Salazar secured
funds:
Combating Meth Production
and Use
- $150,000 for
the Seventh Judicial District Task Force, Montrose: With
meth trafficking on the rise, the ability to successfully investigate
and develop prosecutable drug cases has been hampered by a lack of
resources. These funds will be used to purchase surveillance and safety
equipment specific to combating meth and to provide training programs
for law enforcement personnel.
- $500,000 for
the Colorado Meth Project: The Colorado Meth Project is a
large-scale exercise in prevention aimed at significantly reducing
first-time meth use and raising awareness of the depth of the meth
problem in Colorado. These funds will be put towards an integrated
program consisting of market research, public service messaging, and
community action to effect a substantial reduction in meth use. An
equivalent program in Montana resulted in a 45 percent decline in
meth use by teens, a 72 percent decline in use by adults, and a 62
percent decrease in meth-related crime from 2005-2008.
- $100,000 for
Meth Lab Cleanup Research, Denver: An important component
of combating meth is understanding the unique health risks posed by
meth contamination in buildings formerly used as meth labs. These
funds will be used by National Jewish Medical & Research Center
to study the issue and to develop a plan for meth remediation in contaminated
buildings.
Keeping Our Communities
and Schools Safer
- $300,000 for
Central Mountain Training Foundation (CMTF) Equipment & Training,
headquartered in Canon City:
The CMTF is comprised of 37 law enforcement agencies serving approximately
760,000 people in seven south-central Colorado counties. These funds
will be used to procure interoperable communications and personal
protective equipment to ensure better integration across the agencies
and the safety of CMTF officers; and to expand training services for
local law enforcement officials
- $350,000 for
the Colorado Schools Safety Program at the University of
Colorado, Boulder
Investing in Criminal
Justice Infrastructure
- Supermax Staffing
and Infrastructure Needs, Florence: At the request of Senator
Salazar, the Committee included language directing the Bureau of Prisons
to allocate additional funds within its budget to maintain adequate
staffing levels and upgrade security infrastructure at the Administrative
Maximum United States Penitentiary (ADX), also known as "Supermax.”
- $500,000 for
the Northern Regional Laboratory Group Crime Lab in Greeley:
Northern Colorado is the largest population base without a full service
crime lab. As a result, there is currently a tremendous backlog of
forensic evidence yet to be analyzed by the Colorado Bureau Investigations
Crime Lab. These funds will be used for the initial construction phase
of a full service crime lab in Greeley, which will help reduce the
backlog, and will allow the agencies involved to pool their resources
in other forensic disciplines to better serve all jurisdictions in
the area.
- $400,000 for
COPLINK: COPLINK software enables law enforcement agencies
in Colorado to share their crime and criminal information with one
another through a secure network. A total of 35 Colorado law enforcement
agencies are currently involved as COPLINK partners. These funds will
be used to expand COPLINK to as many as 10 additional agencies in
Colorado, particularly those from rural communities.
The Fiscal Year 2009 CJS
Appropriations Bill now awaits action in the full Senate.
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