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Bay County prosecutor seeks new funds to handle gun crime
Josey1
Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
Bay County prosecutor seeks new funds to handle gun crime Thursday, November 1, 2001
To receive grant, county must ante up money to hire new assistant prosecutorBy Jeff KartTimes WriterBay County can get $120,000 to prosecute crimes involving guns, if it antes up another $102,000.County Prosecutor Joseph K. Sheeran secured the Community Gun Violence Grant, which would provide $40,000 a year for the county to hire an assistant prosecutor for three years to focus on crimes involving guns.The county would be required to chip in another $34,000 a year, to cover the remainder of wages and fringe benefits for the new assistant, which would be the 10th in Sheeran's office."Our numbers have increased steadily, year by year, in terms of the number of cases we're handling, so it would be very helpful," Sheeran said.The prosecutor couldn't provide any gun crime statistics when contacted for a recent interview. The grant is from the U.S. Department of Justice.County Executive Thomas L. Hickner provided a copy of the grant application this morning, and said he'll find matching money in a proposed 2002 county budget. But the funding will have to be approved by the county Board of Commissioners.The grant application doesn't appear to list any gun crime statistics, but outlines a three-year strategy for enhancing fire-arm related prosecutions in Bay County.The application says there has been a rise in the "use, misuse and abuse of firearms in our otherwise quiet, family-oriented community," and says it's Sheeran's goal to implement a zero-tolerance policy for the violation of any Michigan firearms law.Hickner said Sheeran has found funding for about half of the $34,000 match within the Prosecutor's Office budget. Hickner said he can use part of a "cushion" built into the county budget for the rest.The county Board of Commissioners voted to have Sheeran apply for the grant, and a request to accept its terms was on the agenda for a special county Board of Commissioners meeting in October. But Sheeran asked that the matter be referred to the 2002 budget process and the issue wasn't discussed.County Commissioner Michael F. Halstead, D-8th District, said he's not sure of the proposal's chances for approval."Not enough information has been made available to us for us to have considered it," Halstead said.Hickner presented a proposed 2002 county budget totaling $95.9 million to the board on Oct. 1 that did not include matching funds for the grant. The board has until Dec. 31 to approve a budget for next year."I'm going to expect some information on the issue before I can support it," said Halstead, chairman of the County Board's Personnel/Judicial Committee. "To this point, there hasn't been any information provided."Still, Hickner said he thinks the board will end up accepting the grant and its terms."If we didn't want the money, we shouldn't have applied for it," Hickner said.Sheeran said he thinks an extra assistant would be kept busy in Bay County. He said the person could help prosecute drug cases, too."This would allow us to respond more quickly and effectively to combat crime in Bay County," Sheeran said.He said his request isn't related to a new state law that makes it easier for people to get permits to carry a concealed weapon. Sheeran opposed the law, and resigned from a county gun board that approves the permits."It's much too soon to say" whether the new law will create a need for another assistant prosecutor, Sheeran said."I think I've spoken my peace on that. The law's in place. We'll respond to crimes. One issue that did come out of the debate over the concealed weapons law is people on all sides of the issue are looking for a very serious response to gun violence and misuse of guns."The grant funding would begin Jan. 1 if the county agrees to provide matching money.- Jeff Kart covers Bay County government for The Times. He can be reached at 894-9639. http://bc.mlive.com/news/index.ssf?/news/stories/20011101bgungrant.frm
To receive grant, county must ante up money to hire new assistant prosecutorBy Jeff KartTimes WriterBay County can get $120,000 to prosecute crimes involving guns, if it antes up another $102,000.County Prosecutor Joseph K. Sheeran secured the Community Gun Violence Grant, which would provide $40,000 a year for the county to hire an assistant prosecutor for three years to focus on crimes involving guns.The county would be required to chip in another $34,000 a year, to cover the remainder of wages and fringe benefits for the new assistant, which would be the 10th in Sheeran's office."Our numbers have increased steadily, year by year, in terms of the number of cases we're handling, so it would be very helpful," Sheeran said.The prosecutor couldn't provide any gun crime statistics when contacted for a recent interview. The grant is from the U.S. Department of Justice.County Executive Thomas L. Hickner provided a copy of the grant application this morning, and said he'll find matching money in a proposed 2002 county budget. But the funding will have to be approved by the county Board of Commissioners.The grant application doesn't appear to list any gun crime statistics, but outlines a three-year strategy for enhancing fire-arm related prosecutions in Bay County.The application says there has been a rise in the "use, misuse and abuse of firearms in our otherwise quiet, family-oriented community," and says it's Sheeran's goal to implement a zero-tolerance policy for the violation of any Michigan firearms law.Hickner said Sheeran has found funding for about half of the $34,000 match within the Prosecutor's Office budget. Hickner said he can use part of a "cushion" built into the county budget for the rest.The county Board of Commissioners voted to have Sheeran apply for the grant, and a request to accept its terms was on the agenda for a special county Board of Commissioners meeting in October. But Sheeran asked that the matter be referred to the 2002 budget process and the issue wasn't discussed.County Commissioner Michael F. Halstead, D-8th District, said he's not sure of the proposal's chances for approval."Not enough information has been made available to us for us to have considered it," Halstead said.Hickner presented a proposed 2002 county budget totaling $95.9 million to the board on Oct. 1 that did not include matching funds for the grant. The board has until Dec. 31 to approve a budget for next year."I'm going to expect some information on the issue before I can support it," said Halstead, chairman of the County Board's Personnel/Judicial Committee. "To this point, there hasn't been any information provided."Still, Hickner said he thinks the board will end up accepting the grant and its terms."If we didn't want the money, we shouldn't have applied for it," Hickner said.Sheeran said he thinks an extra assistant would be kept busy in Bay County. He said the person could help prosecute drug cases, too."This would allow us to respond more quickly and effectively to combat crime in Bay County," Sheeran said.He said his request isn't related to a new state law that makes it easier for people to get permits to carry a concealed weapon. Sheeran opposed the law, and resigned from a county gun board that approves the permits."It's much too soon to say" whether the new law will create a need for another assistant prosecutor, Sheeran said."I think I've spoken my peace on that. The law's in place. We'll respond to crimes. One issue that did come out of the debate over the concealed weapons law is people on all sides of the issue are looking for a very serious response to gun violence and misuse of guns."The grant funding would begin Jan. 1 if the county agrees to provide matching money.- Jeff Kart covers Bay County government for The Times. He can be reached at 894-9639. http://bc.mlive.com/news/index.ssf?/news/stories/20011101bgungrant.frm