December 10, 2012 The Honorable Harry Reid The Honorable Mitch McConnell Majority Leader Minority Leader United States Senate United States Senate S-221, United States Capitol S-230, United States Capitol Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable John Boehner The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Speaker Minority Leader U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives H-232, United States Capitol H-204, United States Capitol Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515 Dear Senators and Congressmen: We, the undersigned, who have dedicated our lives to preventing, fighting and prosecuting crime in our communities, write to urge Congress to prevent further cuts to non-defense discretionary programs, particularly the Department of Justice (DOJ) and other law enforcement grant programs, in any deficit reduction plan. The DOJ grant programs, essential in our fight against crime, have been cut by 43 percent since FY10. If the sequester is allowed to stand or alternative reductions are enacted, federal support for state and local law enforcement will be virtually eliminated. Crime control and prevention rests primarily with the states and local governments. According to a 2008 estimate by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, of Census Bureau data, states and local governments invested $75.9 billion in “police protection.” The federal government contributed another $2.6 billion. This small (3.3 percent) federal contribution, however, is indispensable for several important reasons. First, the crime we see in our communities is increasingly driven by regional, national and even international gangs and drug trafficking organizations. Fighting these crimes requires sophistication and coordination across all levels of government in ways unheard of just a decade ago. State and local law enforcement officers are the first responders, the “boots on the ground,” in every criminal investigation, even those that become federal investigations. We are the first responders for natural disasters and acts of terror. We are far more successful when we work across jurisdictions to track and enforce drug, gang, human trafficking and financial crimes. Federal support is vital to our collective success. Second, the federal government plays a crucial role in spurring innovation as well as testing and replicating smart, evidence-based practices. Through DOJ grant funding, we learn what works and are able to implement these successful approaches where they are needed. With over 18,000 law enforcement agencies across our great country, cross-jurisdictional learning cannot happen without federal support. Third, crime is down to levels last seen in the 1960’s. While many factors have played a role in crime’s decline, innovative policing practices have been key. And it is federal support which tests and implements these measures, fine-tunes them over time and adjusts them to fit the needs of individual communities. Crime would not be at this historic low absent these federal grants. We believe crime can and will rise again if the federal assistance is withdrawn. Fourth, business does not move into communities ridden with crime. We cannot restore our economy and grow private sector jobs without first preserving public safety and ensuring that crime rates stay low. Fifth, the federal grant programs have been the catalyst for broad changes in state criminal justice policies, which have begun to realize significant savings in the cost of corrections. Texas, Ohio, Kansas, Michigan, and many other states have shown remarkable success in reducing crime, lowering recidivism, restoring families, and saving taxpayer money – all at the same time. In the true spirit of the states as laboratories of democracy, these proven practices, funded in part by federal grants, can be adopted in the federal prison system in order to reduce overcrowding, break the cycle of recidivism, and reduce the rate of growth in the Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) budget. Federal support for the DOJ justice assistance grant programs has been cut by almost $1.5 billion over the last two fiscal years, a reduction of 43 percent, even as funding for the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and the federal law enforcement and investigative agencies has held steady or increased. This means the grant programs have borne the lion’s share of reductions to DOJ’s overall budget. In FY11, the state and local earmark accounts were eliminated and many of the remaining grant programs were cut by 17 percent across the board. Together, the state and local grant programs were reduced by about $900 million, more than the cut to the overall Department’s budget of just under $700 million. Similarly, in FY12, DOJ’s budget increased slightly, but the grant programs were cut by another $570 million. Cuts of this magnitude have a real and serious impact on the ground, in communities nationwide. In the summer of 2012, the National Criminal Justice Association and the Vera Institute of Justice conducted a survey of state and local criminal justice practitioners regarding the impact of these reductions in funding. Because it was conducted before the FY12 grants reached the field, the responses reflect only the cuts in FY11. A total of 714 organizations responded to the survey; the majority representing state and local law enforcement and prosecution agencies. Nearly half of the respondents reported a decrease in federal support by at least one-third, and over half reported a reduction in their organization's workforce by, on average, 3.4 FTEs, a sizeable cut in staff for small or rural law enforcement agencies. Respondents also were asked to put into words how this withdrawal of federal support has affected their ability to serve their communities. Their answers are illuminating. They vividly describe how cuts in one area ripple through the entire justice system. View a summary of the survey results at www.ncja.org. As Members of Congress, you face the thankless task of putting our nation’s financial house back in order while preserving the vital functions of government. As public safety officers, we can think of no higher purpose of government than protecting the public safety. We urge you to hear our story of the importance of the federal investment in state and local criminal justice. Sincerely, National Organizations Cabell Cropper, Executive Director, National Criminal Justice Association Washington, District of Columbia Rich Stanek, President, Major County Sheriffs Association Alexandria, Virginia Aaron Kennard, Executive Director, National Sheriffs' Association Alexandria, Virginia Tom Cochran, CEO and Executive Director, The U.S. Conference of Mayors Washington, District of Columbia Darrel Stephens, Executive Director, Major Cities Chiefs Association Washington, District of Columbia Dennis Hallion, Executive Director, National Troopers Coalition Washington, District of Columbia David LaBahn, Executive Director, Association of Prosecuting Attorneys Washington, District of Columbia Jason Baker, Director of Government Affairs, National District Attorneys Association Alexandria, Virginia Ron Brooks, President, National Narcotic Officers' Associations' Coalition West Colvina, California Jon Adler, National President, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association Washington, District of Columbia Joseph Akers, Interim Executive Director, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives Alexandria, Virginia William Johnson, Executive Director, National Association of Police Organizations Alexandria, Virginia Elder Dr. Joseph S. Johnson, National Chaplain, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives Alexandria, Virginia Ron Sloan, President, Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies Lakewood, Colorado Alabama Steve Marshall, District Attorney, Marshall County District Attorney's Office Guntersville, Alabama Carl Preuninger, Investigator, JSU Police Department Jacksonville, Alabama David Steward, President, Alabama State Trooper Association Montgomery, Alabama Alaska Rob Cox, State Trooper, Alaska State Troopers / Public Safety Employees Association Anchorage, Alaska Arizona John Blackburn, Executive Director, Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Phoenix, Arizona Jimmy Chavez, President, Arizona Highway Patrol Association and Arizona Police Association Phoenix, Arizona Sean Mattson, President, Phoenix Police Sergeants and Lieutenants Association Phoenix, Arizona Thomas Kelly, Deputy Chief, Apache Junction Arizona Police Department Apache Junction, Arizona Paul Moncada, Chief of Police, Benson Police Department Benson, Arizona Rod Rothrock, Acting Sheriff, Cochise County Sheriff's Office Bisbee, Arizona Joseph Brugman, Chief of Police, Coolidge Police Department Coolidge, Arizona William Pitman, Chief of Police, Eloy Police Department Eloy, Arizona Todd Whitney Goodyear, Arizona Brad Carlyon, County Attorney, Navajo County Attorney's Office Holbrook, Arizona Kelly Clark, Sheriff, Navajo County Holbrook, Arizona Mark Chastain, Lieutenant, Kingman Police Department/MAGNET Kingman, Arizona Thomas Sheahan, Sheriff, Mohave County Sheriff’s Office Kingman, Arizona Dan Doyle, Chief of Police, Lake Havasu City Police Department Lake Havasu City, Arizona Sherwood Eldredge, Chief of Police, Pinetop-Lakeside Police Department Lakeside, Arizona Steve Stahl, Chief of Police, Maricopa Police Department Maricopa, Arizona Bill Everson, Police Officer (retired), Mesa Police Department Mesa, Arizona Gerardo Castillo, Commander, Santa Cruz County Nogales, Arizona Manuel Cota, Evidence Custodian (Lt. Ret.), Santa