DRUG TASK FORCES PUT IN JEOPARDY

The programs, including Tulsa County's, are threatened by federal budget cuts.

WASHINGTON -- A new but successful drug task force in Tulsa County
and others across the state are at risk because of a dramatic and
unexpected federal budget cut, officials said Tuesday.

"This is scary," said DeLynn Fudge, who leads the Federal Grants
Division for the Oklahoma District Attorneys Council. "If there is
nobody addressing these issues, we are afraid it will run rampant."

Fudge said her agency had been expecting to see an increase in
funding in the federal grant program but learned of the cut just
before Christmas.

She warned that local law enforcement agencies will not have the
money to make up for the funds lost because of the budget cut in the
omnibus spending bill passed by Congress in December.

Tulsa County Sheriff's Capt. Bill Bass agreed.

"We barely have enough to take care of the criminal problems we have
on a daily basis," said Bass, who touted the federal grant program as
a way for smaller agencies to join forces and limited resources to
address specific problems.

Tulsa County created its multijurisdictional drug task force last
summer with $120,000 in federal funds plus $54,000 awarded to both
Bixby and Sand Springs.

Bass did not have complete details on the task force's record but
described it as "extremely successful," with more than 100 arrests,
25 cars seized and significant amounts of marijuana, cocaine and
other drugs taken off the street.

A report by the District Attorneys Council credited drug task forces
across the state with 2,589 arrests and drug seizures totaling 35
pounds of cocaine, more than 1,800 pounds of marijuana, 4,900
marijuana plants and 69 pounds of methamphetamine.

The street value of those illegal drugs was $8.5 million.

Although final figures are not available, Fudge expects Oklahoma's
grant money for the program -- which funds 21 drug task forces, a
gang unit and other activities such as drug courts and drug treat
ment -- to drop to $1.3 million from $4.1 million.

She said a decision on what approach to take on the cut could come
later this month.

"Unfortunately, we anticipate that approximately 25 to 30 people
across the state will lose their jobs," she said.

U.S. Rep. Dan Boren, D-Okla., also is concerned.

"That's what is so bad for these programs," Boren said, citing the
difficulty local law enforcement officials face in retaining employees.

"That's a lot of people on the front lines fighting the war on drugs."

He said no explanation has been given about why the grant program was
targeted in December's spending bill.

Lawmakers from both parties have called for restoring the program's
funds, which at one time were expected to be as much as $660 million,
only to be slashed to $170 million in December.

Boren said he is not optimistic about using a supplemental spending
bill to restore the funding, but he added that he is looking at ways
to address it.