Senators tout money for meth battle, crime lab

~ About $250,000 will go to a new program to help children found at meth labs.

Federal funding will give local law enforcement more tools in the battle against methamphetamine, U.S. Sens. Kit Bond and Jim Talent said Saturday.

The senators visited the Southeast Missouri Regional Crime Lab, speaking to state and local police and government officials. Bond and Talent spoke on a variety of topics relating to the local battle against methamphetamine, announcing federal money to create a program to help children found at meth labs, increased federal funding for the Missouri Sheriffs Methamphetamine Relief Team (MOSMART) and funding to help construct new facilities for the Southeast Missouri State University Law Enforcement Academy.

Bond spoke in earnest to those assembled about Missouri's problems with methamphetamine.

"Being the meth capital is an honor I'm sure all of us would like to get rid of," Bond said. The methamphetamine problem is one that has to be attacked at the local level using coordination of local, federal and state agencies, he said.

Bond said he was able to help secure $2 million in funding will go to fight methamphetamine in Missouri for fiscal year 2006, which began Oct. 1. Most of that amount, $1.75 million, will go to MOSMART, a state agency of local police officials. Those funds will be distributed to police agencies throughout the state by the MOSMART bipartisan panel headed by Cape Girardeau County Sheriff John Jordan. The funding represents an increase of about $750,000 over fiscal year 2005.

Some of that money could go to local drug task forces, which face decreased federal funding under cuts to the Byrne Justice Assistance Grants. The appropriations bill with the grant programs was signed by President Bush Nov. 22.

In the bill funding for the program was reduced for fiscal year 2005's $606 million to $416 million. The Office of Management and Budget had initially suggested eliminating funding to the program.

The grants provide much of the funding for local drug task forces throughout the nation.

The other $250,000 of federal money will go to create the Children in Meth Labs initiative. The initiative seeks to bring together several state and local agencies to help children found at meth labs recover from the physical and psychological trauma they have been exposed to.

Earlier last week, Bond said more than 500 children are found near meth labs each year in Missouri.

Talent discussed a piece of legislation he has co-sponsored, the Combat Meth Act, which would restrict the sale of pseudoephedrine nationwide, provides new money for law enforcement in fighting methamphetamine.

The act has passed the Senate and is awaiting action in the House of Representatives.An important part of that legislation, Talent said, is increasing international enforcement against meth trafficking. As state laws like one in Missouri put pseudoephedrine behind the counter, Talent said importation of the drug increases.

The senators also emphasized the importance of a seperate federal earmark of $492,322 in federal funds for the crime lab. The improvements there will allow the Law Enforcement Academy to conduct all its training operations in a central location.

Construction may be completed before the start of fall 2006 classes, said academy director Dr. Mike Brown.

msanders@semissourian.com

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