Mid-Missouri Receives Over $ 2.9 Million in Byrne
Formula Grants
JEEFERSON CITY, July 8, 2005—Gov. Matt Blunt is pleased
to announce the award of over $ 2.9 million in Byrne Formula Grants
to four mid-Missouri counties and the State of Missouri. The grant
program funds are administered by the Missouri Department of Public
Safety and are made possible through the U.S. Dept. of Justice, Bureau
of Justice Assistance.
In June, Gov. Blunt signed the first-ever
comprehensive meth bill, which seeks to keep key ingredients to making
the drug out of the hands of meth-makers. Gov. Blunt continues his pledge to fight Missouri's meth epidemic
with the announcement of today grants.
“I commend the work of mid-Missouri anti-drug and crime programs,"
Blunt said. “These grant awards show that groups effective in anti-drug
and crime efforts will be supported and rewarded by the Department
of Public Safety and the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice
Assistance.”
Audrain County’s East Central Drug Task Force will receive
$166,864.50 in Byrne funding, Camden County’s Lake Area Narcotics
Enforcement Group (LANEG) will receive $227,385, Jefferson City’s
MUSTANG will receive $270,871.50, and Moniteau County’s Mid Missouri
Multi-jurisdictional Drug Task Force will receive $235,726.50 in grant
funding.
In addition, the State of Missouri will receive $165,819 for
the State Sentencing Commission, $1,125,000 for Drug Court Diversion
Programs, $497,876.25 for the Criminal Justice Records Improvement
Program, and $267,180 for Administrative Data Analysis and Problem
Identification.
Anti-drug initiatives such as Drug Task Forces (DTFs) provide
trained law enforcement personnel who work in conjunction with Missouri
law enforcement agencies as well as state and federal agencies. Together
they investigate and assist in the prosecution of those who manufacture,
distribute and transport illegal narcotics in mid-Missouri.
In 2004, there were 2,788 methamphetamine
laboratory incidents across the state. The Missouri State Highway
Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control alone cited 537 methamphetamine
laboratory incidents. Incidents include laboratory seizures and dump
sites, or places where empty containers of meth-making ingredients
and tools are found. Even with increased efforts to investigate and
seize meth labs, statistics for this year are on track with 2004.
From January through April of 2005, there have been 1,322 meth lab
incidents statewide, 200 of which were investigated by the Highway
Patrol.
The East Central DTF of Audrain County serves the three-county
area of Audrain, Montgomery and Pike. The DTF words to reduce drug
trafficking within the tri-county region, and they work with the Missouri
Sheriff’s Meth Relief Team (MOSMART).
Camden County’s LANEG uses overt and covert drug investigations
to decrease the distribution of illegal drugs and the threat of clandestine
meth labs in their area.
The Jefferson City’s Police Department’s MUSTANG DTF
operates to stop illegal drug sales and clean up hazardous meth labs.
MUSTANG is coordinated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The Mid Missouri Multi-jurisdictional DTF operates in
Howard, Cooper, Moniteau, Morgan, Pettis and Miller counties to investigate
illegal drug activity. The DTF also provides law officer training
and educational programs for teachers and students in the six-county
area.
The State Sentencing Commission will use grant funds
to improve the corrections system by engaging courts, prosecutors,
public defenders, defense attorneys, probation and parole officers
and state legislators in the review and analysis of recommended sentences
developed by the State Sentencing Commission.
Funding of Drug Court Diversion Programs allow for additional
drug court participant capacity, maintanence of treatment services,
and the diversion of non-violent offenders from the Dept. of Corrections.
The Criminal Justice Records Improvement Program trains
staffers to improve Missouri’s criminal history record system. Working
together, the Highway Patrol, the Office of State Courts Administrator
(OSCA), the Missouri Office of Prosecuting Services (MOPS) and the
Missouri Police Chiefs Association enhance their criminal record reporting
systems.
The Highway Patrol’s Administrative Data Analysis and Problem
Identification program has received a grant to statistically analyze
and the size and seriousness of Missouri’s drug and violent crime
problem. The goal of the program is to implement statewide reporting
systems that support the collection of complete and accurate drug
and crime data.
The Byrne Formula
grants require a 25 percent agency match for each award.
Audrain County will match $55,621.50 to their award, Camden
County will match $75,795, Jefferson City will match $90,290.50, Moniteau
County will match $78,575.50, and the State of Missouri will match
a total of $685,340.75 for their award. Missouri will administer a
total of $9,501,569.13 in Byrne Formula Grants to agencies for programs
throughout the state.
The programs funded through the Criminal
Justice/Law Enforcement Program (CJLE) identify state and local initiatives
which assist the state in the enforcement of drug control, or controlled
substance laws, initiatives which emphasize the prevention of control
of violent crime and serious offenders, and initiatives which improve
the effectiveness of the state and local criminal justice system.
For more information about CJLE or the
Edward Byrne Formula Grant funds in this area or around the state,
please contact The Missouri Department of Public Safety, Criminal
Justice/Law Enforcement Program at (573) 751-4905.