CHIPPEWA FALLS – Governor Jim Doyle and Congressman Dave Obey (WI-7) today announced $360,949 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds for Northwestern Wisconsin law enforcement to protect public safety, avoid cuts to police service and reduce future corrections costs. Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) funds will be used to target youthful offenders, fight drug abuse and trafficking, and reduce the number of offenders entering the corrections system.
“Public safety is a top priority and an essential element of economic recovery,” said Governor Doyle. “Through my budget and investments of Recovery Act funds, Wisconsin will continue to be one of the safest places to raise a family and do business. I want to thank Congressman Obey for his leadership with the Recovery Act.”
“Even in the best of times, keeping our communities safe is a fundamental necessity for economic growth; and these are anything but the best of times,” Obey added. “That’s why we made sure that recovery act funds could be used to keep cops on the street and provide the equipment and training they need to do their jobs. It also has the virtue of providing additional jobs in the economy.”
Law enforcement agencies in Eau Claire and Chippewa Counties will receive a total of $125,281 in ARRA funding to purchase equipment critical to officer and community safety. The Chippewa Falls Police Department plans to use $10,000 of their $15,427 share towards the purchase of a new patrol vehicle, ensuring that the Department continues a regular replacement cycle despite recent budget cuts. The Eau Claire Police Department will use $82,989 of the $109,854 allocated to Eau Claire County to purchase software to transfer suspect information – including mugshots – to officers in the field and to accelerate the department’s conversation of evidence to digital format.
Other counties receiving direct law enforcement assistance through the ARRA are:
- Ashland County: $41,494
- Barron County: $10,640
- Douglas County: $52,932
- Bayfield County: $25,269
- Burnett County: $17,023
- Polk County: $32,717
- Price County: $14,364
- Rusk County: $16,491
- Washburn County: $14,098
- Lincoln County: 10,640
Governor Doyle and Congressman Dave Obey also announced that $18.8 million in state-directed ARRA funds will be used to fight methamphetamine and pharmaceutical drug abuse, improve law enforcement technology and reduce future corrections costs. The investments include:
- $3.85 million for programs targeting youthful offenders, including truancy, drug and alcohol abuse and violence and gang reduction programs.
- $3.43 million for treatment and diversion programs for non-violent offenders, in support of the state’s Justice Reinvestment Initiative.
- $3 million awarded competitively to multi-jurisdictional drug task forces to protect at-risk investigator and prosecutor positions, increase information sharing and target pharmaceutical abuse.
- $2.7 million for the Department of Corrections to increase offender community supervision and re-entry programs.
- $2.2 million in technology investments to improve communications and information sharing among emergency responders and finger-print and Crime Lab technology at the Department of Justice.
- $800,000 for local law enforcement agencies to purchase equipment and fund innovative community safety programs.
- $850,000 to fund a minority student internship program and other racial disparity reduction programs.
- $800,000 for data collection and program evaluation to achieve accountability and measure the impact of Recovery Act funded programs.
- $300,000 (annually) to monitor and administer programs to meet ARRA guidelines.
Through the Governor’s budget and with the ARRA investments, the most serious offenders will remain incarcerated while non-violent and lower-risk offenders receive increased community supervision. Additional reentry, treatment and diversion programs will help to reduce the number of offenders entering the corrections system and curb the state’s rising corrections costs.
Local investments in law enforcement technology will have a long-term public safety impact and will help to boost local, state and the national economy.
For more information on the Byrne/JAG program, visit the Office of Justice Assistance website, www.OJA.wi.gov.
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