Number
020456
Version
SUBSTITUTE 2
Reference
Sponsor
ALD. HENNINGSEN
Title
Substitute resolution relating to funding of the Drug Abatement Program Hotline.
Analysis
The Social Development Commission is unable to continue the operation of the Drug Abatement Program Hotline after August 31, 2002 due to the discontinuation of funding from the Milwaukee HIDTA Street Drug Task Force grant.
This substitute resolution requests that the Police Department appropriate funding in the amount of $21,400 from the Police Department's budget to the Social Development Commission to continue the operation of the Drug Abatement Program Hotline through December 31, 2002.
Body
Whereas, The Drug Abatement Program (DAP) Hotline, which started in 1989 as a demonstration program funded through the State of Wisconsin Department of Justice to receive anonymous phone calls from residents reporting drug houses or drug activity, was taken over in 1992 by the Social Development Commission (SDC); and
Whereas, When the state discontinued funding of the hotline in 1998, the Milwaukee High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program provided $50,000 for each of the next 2 years to partially fund the DAP hotline; and
Whereas, In June, 2001, the Milwaukee HIDTA program, which is a federally-funded program that promotes a coordinated interagency law enforcement strategy to target the drug, gang and violent criminal activity in the Milwaukee metropolitan area, notified the SDC that, due to strategy changes in HIDTA's focus, HIDTA will no longer provide funding to the SDC for the operation of the DAP hotline; and
Whereas, Given Milwaukee HIDTA's discontinuation of funding, the Safe & Sound program awarded a $50,000 grant to the SDC to continue the operation of the DAP hotline through August 31, 2002; however, due to the lack of additional funds, the SDC is unable to continue the operation of the DAP hotline after August 31, 2002; and
Whereas, In 2001 and 2002, the DAP hotline had received 1,206 and 1,098 phone calls and referred 504 and 600 drug houses, respectively, to the Milwaukee Police Department and the Milwaukee HIDTA program; and
Whereas, The discontinuation of the DAP hotline will weaken the connection between residents who desire to anonymously fight crime in their neighborhoods and the Milwaukee Police Department; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, By the Common Council of the City of Milwaukee, that the Common Council requests the Police Department to appropriate funding in the amount of $21,400 from the Police Department's budget to the Social Development Commission to continue the operation of the Drug Abatement Program Hotline through December 31, 2002; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the City Comptroller is authorized and directed to establish all fund and accounting procedures necessary to fulfil the intent of this resolution.
Department
Drafter
LRB02325-3
RGP
07/23/2002