Federal money for drug fight drying up (Montana)

By JENNIFER McKEE, IR State Bureau - 07/02/2006
HELENA — Federal money for Montana’s drug crackdown task forces has shrunk more than 61 percent in the last two years, pushing more of the costs on local taxpayers.

“If this funding trend continues the communities aren’t going to be able to make up the difference,” said Attorney General Mike McGrath.

For now, McGrath said, local governments have scraped together enough money to keep the task forces going for the year that began July 1. But he cautioned that situation is only temporary.

“We’ve been told by the local communities that they will not be able to make this level of match next year and they’ll have to make cuts,” McGrath said.

One group, the Missouri River Drug Task Force, which includes Butte and Helena, may even have to disband.

Two years ago, Montana received about $2.5 million in Department of Justice anti-drug money divvied out through the federal Edward Byrne grant programs. These so-called Byrne grants then go to Montana’s Board of Crime Control, which fans the money out to drug task forces throughout the state.

Remainder of this story can be seen at: http://www.helenair.com/articles/2006/07/03/montana_top/01mtt20060702231.txt