Posted: Jul 20, 2010 10:34 PM
Updated: Jul 21, 2010 3:02 AM
TUCSON - Some local law enforcement agencies are questioning the amount of money given to their departments through state stimulus funds.
$10,000,000 dollars was divided among five counties, several area tribes, and small border towns and cities for additional border security, called the Border Security Enhancement Program.
Each department put in a request back in May indicating the amount they need, and what they plan to use if for. Now, some say political viewpoints played a part in how much they received.
Here is how the amounts breakdown:
Tohono O'odham Nation asked for $1.3 million and was granted $815,000.
Cochise County asked for $1.6 million and was granted $1.55 million.
Pima County requested $2.8 million dollars and was granted less than half at $1,136,688.
Santa Cruz County was given the full amount requested of $1.3 million.
Yuma asked for $1,000,000 and received $907,114 dollars.
Richard Elias on the Pima County Board of Supervisors said they were surprised at the amount they were awarded.
"Losing 60% of that money is significant," Elias said.
Elias said he thinks politics got in the way of Governor Jan Brewer's decision.
"This is more about Jan Brewer wanting to be reelected as governor," he said.
Governor Brewer's office said that is not so.
"Maybe it was agreed upon by the border counties and so forth, but it was never in agreement between this committee of the state and Pima County," said Deputy Press Secretary at the Governor's office Tasya Peterson.
Peterson said a committee of members from local agencies evaluated each department's request, and then made the decision on how much each area could use for border security.
"The vast majority of the request from Pima County was for vehicles, nearly 2.6 million out of the 2.8 million dollar request. The program was not designed solely for vehicle replacement, but to support law enforcement's ability to combat criminal activity from the international border," said Peterson.
Elias said they had planned to use the money for off-road vehicles to be used to patrol the border. He said they will now have to wait until they find more money.
"That's not about border security or the needs of people or public safety in general, but rather like I said, a political calculation offered by someone who claims to have Arizona's best interests at heart," said Elias.
Nearly $1.6 million dollars was given to the Arizona Department of Public Safety as well.
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