Authorities push for training center funding
By Travis Coleman Journal staff writer | Posted: Saturday, March 17, 2007
Sioux City police are fighting to keep the National Training Center in Sioux City open in the face of funding cuts that threaten to shut it down in June.
For eight years the center has provided training on how to combat methamphetamine for about 21,000 police officers and lawyers from 39 states, said Capt. Doug Young of the Sioux City Police Department, who has been overseeing training center operations for more than a year.
The center was relying on earmarked funds found in other congressional bills. But that earmark was cut in the Science, State, Justice and Commerce Appropriations Act that was passed by the U.S. Senate in February, six months after it had passed with the earmark in the House of Representatives.
It wasn't a direct cut, as a "continuing resolution" was enacted after the 2006 election, providing money for programs until regular appropriations were enacted.
But the center has to reapply for funding every year and it, like similar centers across the nation, weren't included in that resolution.
"We're kind of caught up in the politics this year with the change over in the Senate and the House," Young said.
The center has primarily provided an inexpensive methamphetamine education for smaller police departments, Young said.
"It allows these jurisdictions to get training which they normally wouldn't get to do," Young said.
The center has been working on a budget of $1 million, but had a $3 million budget the year before.
The center is set to run out of funds in June and only has classes scheduled up to then, Young said.
Young, Police Chief Joe Frisbie and Iowa Congressman Steve King are trying to scrape up any funding available to keep the training center's doors open.
"We are pushing hard on (the Justice Department) to find money within their allocation that can be sent to the National Center," King said.
Young and Frisbie are also planning to attend the annual Steak Dinner in Washington D.C. to try to convince legislators to help their cause. They're also organizing a letter-writing campaign contacting officers the center has trained to ask them to speak to their legislators.
"I'm very optimistic that we are going to get funding," Young said.
In Washington, there's a slightly different view.
"The odds are less than 50/50 that we're able to save this," King said, adding that they're not going to give up in the face of such odds though.
King is also organizing a letter-writing campaign and will be trying to get the earmark placed back into the bill so funding will be available in 2008. It's important to keep the center open so officers can share ideas on how to combat methamphetamine, King said.
"Drug use and methamphetamine is the engine that drives criminal activity," Young said, and if they can be trained in responding and preventing it, criminal activity could decrease.
For eight years the center has provided training on how to combat methamphetamine for about 21,000 police officers and lawyers from 39 states, said Capt. Doug Young of the Sioux City Police Department, who has been overseeing training center operations for more than a year.
The center was relying on earmarked funds found in other congressional bills. But that earmark was cut in the Science, State, Justice and Commerce Appropriations Act that was passed by the U.S. Senate in February, six months after it had passed with the earmark in the House of Representatives.
It wasn't a direct cut, as a "continuing resolution" was enacted after the 2006 election, providing money for programs until regular appropriations were enacted.
But the center has to reapply for funding every year and it, like similar centers across the nation, weren't included in that resolution.
"We're kind of caught up in the politics this year with the change over in the Senate and the House," Young said.
The center has primarily provided an inexpensive methamphetamine education for smaller police departments, Young said.
"It allows these jurisdictions to get training which they normally wouldn't get to do," Young said.
The center has been working on a budget of $1 million, but had a $3 million budget the year before.
The center is set to run out of funds in June and only has classes scheduled up to then, Young said.
Young, Police Chief Joe Frisbie and Iowa Congressman Steve King are trying to scrape up any funding available to keep the training center's doors open.
"We are pushing hard on (the Justice Department) to find money within their allocation that can be sent to the National Center," King said.
Young and Frisbie are also planning to attend the annual Steak Dinner in Washington D.C. to try to convince legislators to help their cause. They're also organizing a letter-writing campaign contacting officers the center has trained to ask them to speak to their legislators.
"I'm very optimistic that we are going to get funding," Young said.
In Washington, there's a slightly different view.
"The odds are less than 50/50 that we're able to save this," King said, adding that they're not going to give up in the face of such odds though.
King is also organizing a letter-writing campaign and will be trying to get the earmark placed back into the bill so funding will be available in 2008. It's important to keep the center open so officers can share ideas on how to combat methamphetamine, King said.
"Drug use and methamphetamine is the engine that drives criminal activity," Young said, and if they can be trained in responding and preventing it, criminal activity could decrease.
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