Cuts could force hard decisions on drug units

Lauderdale Sheriff Ronnie Willis said he doesn't want to think about the possible consequences of what could happen if federal funding for the county's drug task force is cut.

"We fight every day against drugs and it's clear we need all the help we can get and then some. We don't need to be cut," Willis said.

Local and state law enforcement agencies involved in drug task forces are bracing for appropriation money cuts, which some fear could be the end of many drug task forces.

"There have been cuts every year, and I just don't know how much more cuts can be handled," said Bobby Baylock, chief deputy for the Marion County Sheriff's Office.

Based on numerous reports, President Bush approved a spending plan in late 2007 that involved cutting a majority of the federal money that has been designated to states for drug task forces.

As a result, federal money available to task forces from the Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance program will be sliced from $520 million last year to $170 million this year.

As a result, some drug task forces will not survive.

In 2002, the program received $900 million in federal money, which was filtered to local and state agencies.

Program money is used by states to help pay operating expenses for drug task forces, anti-gang units and overtime for police officers involved in certain drug-related operations.

In Alabama, the grant money is administered by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.

ADECA officials said the state received $4 million from the justice grant last year. This year, that total could decrease to $1.2 million. The money will be shared by 31 drug task forces in the state.

"There is some concern about this and what could happen," said John Carples, a public relations official with ADECA.

Florence Police Chief Rick Singleton said that cut would mark the end of many drug task forces. He's not sure if the Lauderdale County would survive.

"Obviously, the people who are making the decisions (on the national level) don't really understand there is a war here that we are fighting everyday," said Curtis Burns, director of the Colbert County Drug Task Force. "(The public) can't begin to understand how some task forces have to scratch and claw just to survive now. If there are more cuts, especially of this magnitude, they can't survive."

Local task forces are funded through a 50-50 matching grant, which requires local entities to match the federal money they receive from the grant.

Last year, the agencies received $100,000 from the justice grant program and $100,000 from local funds.

Burns said he's been told that in addition to the grant money being drastically reduced, the funding formula will also change to mandate that agencies must provide $75 for every $25 it receives from the grant.

"When the grant program started, the match formula was 90-10," Burns said. "The money and the matching formula have continued to be cut every year for the past five years."

All local drug task forces involve several law enforcement agencies.

"Drug dealers have no jurisdictional barriers and using multi-agency task forces eliminates boundaries," Singleton said.

"That's the beauty of a task force," Willis said. "You have a combined effort of agencies that work on nothing but drugs. If the task forces go away, I don't know any one department that has the manpower to devote to working drugs on this scale."

Baylock said for task forces to adequately do their jobs more money is needed, not less.

"What kind of message is this sending to the public?" Baylock said.

Carples said there is some talk that Congress will address the issue in the early part of the 2008 session.

Until the issue is resolved one way or another, local task forces are continuing to work drugs while keeping a hopeful eye on the financial situation.

"All we can do is keep our fingers crossed and hope and pray there will be some additional funds," said Lauderdale County task force director Myron Crunk. "I'm not about to say we're winning the war on drugs, but we've got to keep fighting. Funding is vital to that effort."

Singleton said if the task forces are forced to stop operations, it will put a hardship on local agencies "because we just can't turn our backs to the drug problem."

"How many agencies have the resources to have a single task force," Singleton asked. "I doubt there are many. If the units close, it would be detrimental to the work that has already been done."

Burns doesn't like the possibilities associated with task forces being dropped.

"The bottom line is something has to happen to rectify the deficit," he said. "If not, a lot of drug task forces going under and that's sad. Drugs have to be worked, if not (the problem) will get more out of control than it already is."

Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@timesdaily.com.