fought for and fought-over federal stimulus funding: Oregon’s plan for the law enforcement community in its mission to securing public safety
Aloha and Welcome to the Friends of Oregon Law Enforcement organization, a united front crusading for the awesome promises of the entire “family” of sectors engaged in the law enforcement community to a decent collective, public safety funding for Oregon state. That means budget cuts and recession. This coalition includes Attorney General John Kroger, sheriffs, police chiefs, district attorneys, and crime victims’ advocates, who all recently unveiled a strategic plan for federal stimulus grants. The goal: fund public safety and basic services through the harshest of times.
The Crisis in Funding Public Safety
Tight budgets, however, have not deterred local law enforcement agencies in Oregon from attaining crucial basic services. They have, however, taken their toll in rural areas. County sheriffs such as Curry County Sheriff John Bishop tend to make mention of how bad things are: “There were 16 patrol deputies in the county in 1989. Today, we have five. I don’t even know how we’ll survive without any federal help.” Some counties, without federal assistance, may face the probability of having closed there sheriff’s office altogether.
Federal stimulus funding promises to be the key part of such attempts. The stimulus bill signed into law by President Obama contains nearly $4 billion dedicated to law enforcement across all of the states. While some of this money is distributed automatically according to population, much of it comes through a competitive grant process. Grants open up a new opportunity for Oregon law enforcement to stabilize public safety and improve the quality of service.
One approach by the Coalition
Attorney General Kroger went on to say that this was a collaborative undertaking so that Oregonians could gain maximal benefit from these kinds of competitive funds. Larger agencies such as the Oregon Department of Justice would help these smaller communities apply for grants, thus ensuring the distribution of opportunity.
FAQs
- What are federal grants for stimulus purposes belonging to law enforcement?
Government grants to institutions define the public safety programs supported by grants for their public purposes. It alleviates budget shortfalls, augments capacity building, and, most significantly, seeks to ensure safety in communities. - Why does Oregon law enforcement focus on federal grants?
Oregon is currently under some major budget cuts, with the worst being in rural areas. Federal funding is critical to keep delivering services like police patrols and open courtrooms. - How will the funds be used?
The funding will be directed toward various activities that include an increase of police presence in rural communities, more hiring of prosecutors, and a fight against Internet crimes. - What problems do smaller communities face when trying to get grants?
Small communities can often lack the human and physical resources as well as the actual expert ability to even navigate the grant application process. This is what the coalition intends to solve through technical assistance and support. - How much money is there under the federal stimulus package?
The federal stimulus package contains approximately $4 billion earmarked for law enforcement. While it contains some funding direct based on population, much more is made available as competitive grants. - Who is the veritable locomotive pushing the grant application for Oregon?
This is a coalition of sorrows, police chiefs, district attorneys, and crime victims’ advocates, but most significantly, from Attorney General John Kroger, who is taking this effort to secure federal stimulus for Oregon. - What is the effect of these grants on public safety?
They will keep in operation critical public safety programs, meaning law enforcement agencies will be able to protect the community better.