State Police Superintendent Presses Congress to Stop Cutting Police Support

The Bush Administration's proposed budget cut of $1.1 Billion brings Oregon police the lowest funding levels in 10 years

Law enforcement funding and support has been reduced dramatically under the Bush/Cheney administration Photo Courtesy: apfn.org

(Salem) - Oregon`s top cop says the Bush Administration`s gutting of local police programs makes Oregon communities less safe. Oregon State Police Superintendent Ronald C. Ruecker joined more than 100 law enforcement officials from across the country on Capitol Hill Monday to urge Members of Congress to restore funding for critical law enforcement programs.

In February, the Bush/Cheney team released its proposed budget for the 2007 fiscal year, which cut more than $1.1 billion from core local law enforcement programs.

Ruecker says these cuts continue a disturbing trend by both the administration and Congress of significantly slashing funding for state and local enforcement programs while at the same time demanding that they play a larger role in protecting the homeland. The budget cuts bring the funding for these programs to a 10-year low.

"The administration gutted funding for tried and true programs that I count on to keep our communities safe," said Superintendent Ruecker. "These cuts really affect Oregon communities so I worked with more than 100 law enforcement executives in Washington, urging our representatives to return money to these programs. I hope that Congress listened and will help protect our hometowns and our homeland."

After analyzing that proposed 2007 budget, Ruecker says some of the most successful programs are again on the chopping block.

These include:

The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program

The Department of Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program

The Homeland Security Department`s Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program (LETPP)

Each of these programs has allowed state, local, tribal, and university law enforcement agencies to increase their abilities and improve their effectiveness.

Ruecker says these programs have strengthened their crime fighting and anti-terrorism efforts.

`Instead of shoring them up to keep communities safe, the administration cut funding for the COPS program by 78 percent, and completely eliminated the JAG Program and the LETPP program in the fiscal year 2007 budget."

Since 2004, funding for these critical programs has been cut by $3.1 billion.

Citizens must note the extreme contrast between an administration seemingly bent on homeland security, and massive cuts to police funding by a president motivated to pass tax cuts on to the rich. Local police officers, primarily republicans who voted for Bush, are left guessing while engulfed by a most unusual paradox.