Working for More Police Funding
To ensure greater equity in police funding for the Marianas, I introduced H.R. 5640, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa Criminal Justice Support Act, on Wednesday. Under current law, the Marianas and American Samoa are treated as a single entity when it comes to funding through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program. This is unlike the other U.S. insular areas, which receive funding as individual jurisdictions, just like the states. As a result, we receive only about one-third of what a single state gets, even though we face the same challenges in law enforcement. H.R. 5640 would correct this disparity and triple the JAG program funds available to the Marianas by treating us as a separate jurisdiction. This change would mean more resources for police training, equipment, and technology, as well as expanded support for prosecutors, the courts, and crime prevention programs. We must do all we can to recognize their critical role of local law enforcement and provide the tools they need to keep our communities safe.