Criminal Justice Council crumbles

"It was a great organization," said Conwell. "It was a great think tank."

Established in 1971 to administer federal Law Enforcement Assistance funds for justice system improvement projects, the council's budget dwindled to $144,000 from $1 million. It is one of two organizations in the entire state that receives automatic federal funding and doesn't have to apply for grants each year.

All major law enforcement and city officials from throughout the county sit on the council - including city managers, police chiefs, members of the District Attorney's Office, the Sheriff's Office and the Board of Supervisors.

After Sept. 11, LEA funds dwindled as the federal government reorganized the way it distributes grants to law enforcement. At the same time, the state cut funding to cities, which were also facing tough economic times.

The county decreased its contributions by 25 percent, then some other cities followed. Both Millbrae and Burlingame reduced or eliminated funding and the San Carlos City Council will discuss pulling out of the group at its Monday night meeting. The item was placed on the agenda before the criminal justice council vote, said Brian Moura, San Carlos' assistant city manager.

The city is currently contributing $3,600 to the council. It also kept two police officer positions open last year due to budget constraints. It's hard to justify that spending when there are more pressing issues in the city, Moura said.

In the past, the council funded programs addressing sexual assault, mentally ill inmates, transitional housing, drug court, domestic violence court and community policing.

In recent years, the council has been stuck creating evaluations of current programs and compiling crime statistics. In February, the council released its annual crime report detailing trends in the county. While its information is interesting, it doesn't directly affect criminal justice programs.

In a recent survey of the council members, no one felt the organization was fine as it is and only gave the council a mediocre rating when it came to effectiveness.

Dana Yates can be reached by e-mail: dana@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 106. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.