Utah Nets $550K in House Measure for Commerce, Justice, Science

None by Lara Jones

Federal Dollars for Local At-Risk Kids Programs, Public Safety

(KCPW News) If passed by the Senate, Utah stands to receive more than half-a-million dollars for at-risk kids and public safety. The money is part of annual appropriations for the departments of Commerce, Justice and Science in H.R. 3093, which passed out of the House yesterday.

"Everyone in law enforcement will tell you they don't like being at the end of the revolving door of people going through the justice system. They like the idea of employing some kind of preventive effort at the front end to try to reduce crime among kids," says Utah Second District Congressman Jim Matheson. "So I think these at-risk programs have a great track record, and this is a good use of our federal money that goes directly to a local entity."

Matheson says he secured a total of $550,000 for four Utah projects. They include $100,000 each for the Utah Sheriff's Association jail inspection system; dash-cams for the Salt Lake City Police Department; and a Granite School District program for kids at risk of dropping out due to gang activity and drug use. Another $250,000 will go to the Sandy City Police Department's Children At-Risk Intervention program, which works to identify and intervene against domestic violence and juvenile delinquency.

"So this is federal money going to local entities without any undue strings attached," says Matheson, adding, "again, I think an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That's the old cliché and that rings true here."

In total, the spending measure boosts the funding level of the Community Oriented Policing Services grant program by 25 percent to $725 million. H.R. 3093 now moves to the Senate for consideration.

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