Boustany Requests Additional Funds for Law Enforcement

Boustany Requests Additional Funds for Law Enforcement
November 4, 2005

Responds to increased manpower needs

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representative Charles Boustany, Jr. announced today that he, along with fellow Louisiana Congressmen Richard Baker, Jim McCrery and Charles Melancon, have requested $35 million for the COPS Universal Hiring Program (UHP). The request is specifically for the hiring of additional law enforcement agents in Louisiana and would fund 430 additional police officers for the next three years. The influx of hurricane evacuees into other parts of Louisiana has strained local law enforcement agencies, resulting in a greater demand for increased manpower.

"Among the most important needs of any community are those of security and law enforcement. Due to the rapid influx of new residents, many local law enforcement agencies have struggled to meet the increasing demands that their duty entails. The first major way we can deal with this problem is by hiring more law enforcement officers, and we believe that the best avenue of doing this is through the COPS Universal Hiring Program" Boustany stated.

The evacuation of New Orleans, followed by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, led to the exponential growth of many Louisiana communities. Conservative estimates place the greater Baton Rouge metropolitan area's growth around 50,000 people, while Lafayette is said to have experienced a 15 year population boom in just 15 days.

Local law enforcement is challenged by this population growth. These additional funds would allow law enforcement agencies to expand in order to respond more effectively to the needs of the community.

http://boustany.house.gov/LatestNews.asp?ARTICLE3149=3636