Byrne/JAG provided $376,988 of funding to the CNMI last year, but this is only one-third of what the commonwealth would have received if it were funded as a state. Sablan’s bill would correct that deficit, providing more operational money for law enforcement in the CNMI.
“The Byrne grant program supports a wide variety of public safety projects. And the need is always greater than the available grant funds,” Sablan said.
Presently, the Northern Marianas and American Samoa split a state minimum of Byrne funding. The CNMI gets one-third; American Samoa gets two-thirds.
“This is just one more example of how the Northern Marianas got short-changed over the years without representation in Congress. Now we have to fix those inequities one program at a time.”
Under the bill Sablan introduced, both jurisdictions would get a full state minimum.
“Our Department of Public Safety desperately needs money for operations and equipment,” explained Kilili. “This is a basic job of government, so it has to be one of key areas I work on.”
In the past the Byrne/JAG money, which is allocated by the CNMI Criminal Justice Planning Agency, has helped DPS with crime scene investigation equipment, upgrades to facilities for storing and securing evidence, and emergency response equipment and supplies.
In addition to DPS, the Office of the Attorney General, the judiciary and the CNMI Board of Parole all benefit from the program.
In the last Congress, Sablan was able to get his bill through the House of Representatives. The Senate, however, failed to act on the measure.
This time around the bill already has 13 co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle, including Ted Poe, R-Tx., and Jim Costa, D-Ca., co-founders of the Congressional Victims Rights Caucus.
“As a member of the Victims Rights Caucus, I am particularly grateful to Ted Poe and Jim Costa for supporting my legislation,” Sablan said.
“We all recognize that the best way to help victims of crime is to make sure that crimes never occur and there are no victims. That’s why we want to support the efforts of the law enforcement community and make sure they are as effective as possible to stopping crime before it happens.”
