Tom Harkin: “So, Madam President, restoring the Byrne funds is a top priority of law enforcement groups, who know the impact this…”

“So, Madam President, restoring the Byrne funds is a top priority of law enforcement groups, who know the impact this program has had on crime and drugs--but not only just in arrests and convictions and seizures of assets; the Byrne money has also been used for prevention. We all know how effective the DARE Program is in local law enforcement in our areas, because we know local law enforcement officers are part of the DARE Program. They go into our schools and work with high school students. By all accounts, I think the DARE Program has been very effective throughout this country. Sheriff Bill Davis of Calhoun County, IA, who has jurisdiction over these DARE Programs in Iowa, told me on Saturday at this meeting how necessary the Byrne money is for the DARE Program. They have 35 local projects in Iowa. They are using this money, not just to arrest, but to go into high schools and use it very effectively for preventive measures. I was told that, overall, about 60 percent of the Byrne Program money goes to the uniformed police officers; about 40 percent goes to local jurisdictions, local agencies, for prevention, for corrections, and also for prosecutions. Every one of the law enforcement officers I talked to on Saturday said that what the Byrne money allows is for them to be proactive, rather than just to react to drug crimes.”