Contact: Ernest Blazar 202-224-7627 Shana Stribling 224-0309
Friday, December 14, 2001

WASHINGTON - Senator Kit Bond today applauded the new distribution of $1.2 million in federal funds to16 Missouri counties to fight the deadly methamphetamine trade.

“This is a text-book example of how the federal-state-local partnership is supposed to work,” said Bond, who so far has secured $5.6 million in federal funds for the Missouri Sheriffs Meth-Amphetamine Relief Team (MOSMART), coordinated by Cape Girardeau County Sheriff John Jordan. “The front-line officers fighting meth know best how and where to use this federal money,” said Bond.

The money will be distributed throughout the state to help pay salaries for meth investigators, drug intelligence analysts and will help fund overtime requests (LIST IS ATTACHED).

“We have a tough time fighting meth mainly because of financial limitations,” stated Carter County Sheriff Greg Melton. “Rural law enforcement officials are deeply grateful to Senator Bond for his efforts in acquiring funding for MOSMART to help smaller counties like Carter battle this terrible problem in rural Missouri.”

Since the inception of MOSMART earlier this year, Missouri law enforcement has seized 413 meth labs, and arrested 569 people suspected of manufacturing meth and another 420 people who tried to make the drug. In addition, Missouri lawmen arrested 960 people for possessing methamphetamine.

“MOSMART is about team-work at all levels of government,” said MOSMART coordinator Sheriff Jordan. “Kit Bond is doing the heavy-lifting at the federal level to make sure we can keep the fight against meth going at the local level.”

DISTRIBUTION OF FEDERAL METH FUNDS (by Missouri county)

NEW CONTRACTS

Approved amount

Barry County Sheriff’s Department $79,589

Buchanan County Drug Strike Force $6,295

Carter County Sheriff’s Department $90,152

Douglas County Sheriff’s Department $88,212

Franklin County Sheriff’s Department $ 97,245

Howell County Sheriff’s Department $47,836

Iron County Sheriff’s Department $75,976

Jefferson County Municipal Enforcement Group $48,145

Johnson County Sheriff’s Department $31,935

Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department $95,277

Miller County Sheriff’s Department $97,901

Mineral Area Drug Task Force $122,684

Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department $88,085

Phelps County Sheriff’s Department $66,374

Scott County Sheriff’s Department $99,913

Texas County Sheriff’s Department $97,175

TOTAL APPROVED $ 1,232,794