NEWS RELEASE
Jul 20, 2000

Engler Announces $19 Million in Drug Prevention and Policing Initiatives Grants--Greater Tri-Cities of Michigan to Receive $1,795,224

 

Governor John Engler has awarded nearly $19 million in funds for drug prevention and policing initiatives. The Greater Tri-Cities will receive $1,795,224 in Byrne Memorial Formula and Local Law Enforcement Block grants for a one-year period beginning October 1, 2000.

"Statewide, these grants will play a positive role in the lives of children to prevent drug use and violence," said Engler. "They will also support crucial criminal justice programs to aggressively identify and prosecute drug dealers who destroy lives, families, and the quality of life within neighborhoods."

The grants focus on Community Policing, Juvenile Intervention, Family and Domestic Violence and Gang Task Force Strategies, D.A.R.E. Programs, Drug Testing and Treatment for Juveniles and Adults, Multijurisdictional Task Forces, Money Laundering Task Forces, Prosecution, Youth Crime Prevention, and Computer Technology Strategies.

"These outstanding programs are making a difference in the lives of people in the Greater Tri-Cities of Michigan," said Darnell Jackson, Director of the Office of Drug Control Policy.

Byrne Memorial Formula Grants:
* Bay City will receive $23,098 for Juvenile Intervention Strategies to fund Mentor COPS, a program where one officer works with at-risk youth at McKinley Alternative School.

* Saginaw county will receive $34,734 for Juvenile Intervention Strategies. The new program assigns a Saginaw County deputy as the Chesaning Union School District school liaison officer and community policing officer to reduce substance abuse problems, truancy/absentee problems, weapons complaints, assaultive and abusive home environments and community disruption and concerns regarding Chesaning students.

* Saginaw will receive $61,989 for Juvenile Intervention Strategies to fund a collaborative effort between the police and the Bay Area Substance Abuse Coordinating Agency, which involves substance abuse providers, community leaders, educators and service agencies working with juveniles.

* Sanilac county will receive $41,901 for Family and Domestic Violence Strategies to fund a multi-agency approach to improve the criminal justice system's response to family and domestic abuse.

* The 67th District Court/County of Genesee will receive $99,066 for Family and Domestic Violence Strategies. This new project will target the development and implementation of effective strategies for the policing, prosecution, adjudication, and supervision of domestic violence offenders.

* Grand Blanc will receive $52,297 for Family and Domestic Violence Strategies. This new project will fund a victim services coordinator to ensure victim safety and rights throughout the investigation, prosecution, sentencing and offender supervision process.

* Saginaw county will receive $44,152 for Gang Task Force Strategies to fund three officers who will provide additional resources to investigate and suppress gang activity.

* Burton will receive $22,063 to fund D.A.R.E. lessons for three school districts at the junior and senior high level.

* Flint will receive $52,220 to fund a D.A.R.E. program for 1,716 seventh grade students.

* Clare will receive $4,663 to fund a D.A.R.E. program to all eighth grade students.

* Genesee county will receive $25,380 for Drug Testing and Treatment for Juveniles and Adults to fund the Case Management Drug Intensive Supervision project to provide an appropriate non-incarcerative release option incorporating a treatment plan which includes drug testing sanctions.

* Bay county will receive $9,144 for Drug Testing and Treatment for Juveniles and Adults to fund the Zero Tolerance Drug Testing Program for Bay county Community Corrections to ensure that felony offenders who remain in the community are drug free and in treatment programs.

* Saginaw county will receive $ 93,441 for Drug Testing and Treatment for Juveniles and Adults to fund the Impact Supervision program designed to provide an immediate sanction for substance abusing probationers not complying with probation conditions.

* The 67th District Court/County of Genesee will receive $79,883 for Drug Testing and Treatment of Juveniles and Adults to fund a project which will target intensive case management for substance abuse offenders.

* The Bay Area Narcotics Enforcement Team, a Multijurisdictional Task Force which operates in the counties of Saginaw, Bay, Gladwin, Clare, Midland, and Isabella, will receive $271,691. The team will target major dealers to improve communities and neighborhoods in the BAYANET regional area.

* The Flint Area Narcotics Group, a Multijurisdictional Task Force, will receive $570,492. The team will focus on decreasing crimes involving narcotics, gang violence, firearms, and repeated violent behavior.

* The Thumb Narcotics Unit, a Multijurisdictional Task Force which operates in Huron, Lapeer, Sanilac, and Tuscola counties, will receive $86,427. The team will target drug trafficking, gang activities, and violent criminals.

* Saginaw county will receive $28,245 for a Criminal Justice Records Improvement project which establishes connectivity with the Michigan State Police Central Records Division. This connection will permit the uploading of livescan prints and related data in a real time environment for purposes of identification verification.

* Lapeer county will receive $66,846 for Youth Crime Prevention to fund two truancy/delinquency prevention coordinators to reduce or prevent status offenses such as home/school truancy, home/school incorrigibility, and other delinquent behavior in the community by providing services to the targeted population and its families.

* Tuscola county will receive $33,742 for Computer Technology Strategies to fund the Tuscola County Sheriff's Office to improve their criminal information system.

* Clare county will receive $93,750 for Computer Technology Strategies to fund an in-car mobile data terminal which will be used to increase the duty capabilities of the officer in the field, allowing more time for community policing efforts, visibility/presence, and community resource group involvement.

Byrne Memorial Formula and Local Law Enforcement Block grants are available for competitive grant awards to state and local governmental entities. Grants are administered by the Governor's Office of Drug Control Policy in the Michigan Department of Community Health.