Despite deep New York State budget cuts, funding apparently is intact for Operation Impact, a multi-agency law enforcement initiative, reports the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. The program will receive its nearly $17 million in state funding for the 2009-10 year that starts April 1, and Rochester will likely maintain its approximately $2 million in state funding when funds are disbursed in the spring, said Denise O’Donnell, commissioner of the state Department of Criminal Justice Services.
Operation Impact provides funding, resources, and technical assistance to law enforcement agencies in the 17 counties within the state that account for 80 percent of total crime outside of New York City. The Monroe County prosecutor said Operation Impact has helped in three major ways: by helping forge working relationships between law enforcement agencies; helping improve the gathering and sharing of data-driven crime analysis between agencies, and helping maintain the salaries of nine assistant district attorneys within the District Attorney’s Office.
Link: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20081216/NEWS01/812160324/1002/NEWS