ALEXANDRIA, Va. – “While the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) is pleased to see that the Administration has proposed a new initiative designed to address the rising crime rates in our nation’s cities, we remain very concerned about its decision to eliminate or severely cut funding for proven, highly successful programs, like the Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) and the COPS programs, by $1.7 billion in the FY 2008 budget. This is a 75 percent cut compared to FY 2007.
“Over the years, these assistance programs have provided state, tribal, and local law enforcement agencies with the resources and tools they need to aggressively and effectively combat crime and violence in our communities. In addition, these programs were instrumental in achieving the dramatic reduction in national crime rates that we witnessed in last decade.
“Unfortunately, despite their success, these programs have sustained massive budget reductions and, as a result, their ability to provide assistance to the law enforcement community has been severely diminished. The IACP will be working closely with Congress to ensure that state, tribal, and local law enforcement assistance programs are fully funded in the FY 2008 budget.”
- In total, the Administration’s proposed slashes more than $1.7 billion from existing law enforcement assistance and other anti-crime programs. This is a 75 percent cut when compared to FY 2007 estimated funding levels.
- In addition, the Administration has proposed reducing funding for critical state, tribal, and local homeland security assistance programs by $570 million dollars. This is a 35 percent cut when compared to FY 2007 estimated funding levels.