Legal Research

Stimulus Bill: Cops in, Other Crime Aid in Doubt

By David Badertscher, PLL

Source: Crime and Justice News, February 6, 2009.

"$1 billion to hire 13,000 local police officers remains in the economic stimulus bill being negotiated in the U.S. Senate, but other anticrime money may be in doubt. The House version included roughly $3 billion in anticrime aid to states and localities--a program that was cut sharply by Congress in December 2007. The Washington Post said the new anticrime grants were cut by a group of moderate senators who are trying to put together a stimulus package that will attract a filibuster-proof 60 votes. Another account said the sum had been reduced to $750 million but not stricken entirely from the bill. Negotiations continue today. "

"Meanwhile, the police allocation seemed intact. Chuck Wexler of the Police Executive Research Forum told the New York Times that 'from an economic stimulus standpoint, if you can use new police to stabilize a neighborhood, consolidate crime-reduction gains, then you can have a considerable impact on the local economy.' Unlike the Clinton administration program, which provided 75 percent of salaries for officers, the current proposal would pay their full salaries. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) said that under the old program, 'localities like New York and Chicago were hamstrung in using the funds because they had difficulty in coming up with the 25 percent match.' " 

New York Times

Full post as published by New York Supreme Court Criminal Term Library on February 06, 2009 (boomark / email).