Senator Charles E. Schumer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 22, 2010

SCHUMER ANNOUNCES SENATE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE APPROVES HIS REQUEST FOR FUNDING FOR NASSAU COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT - DEPARTMENT SET TO RECEIVE $500,000

Funding Will Be Used To Reduce Heroin Use Across Nassau County

Schumer Worked Closely with Subcommittee to Include Funding In FY2011 Spending Bill

Bill Will Now Be Sent To The Full Senate Appropriations Committee

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the Senate Appropriations Commerce-Justice-Science Subcommittee has approved the FY11 Appropriations Bill which includes $500,000 for the Nassau County Police Department. The funding will be used to help combat crimes associated with the use and sale of heroin. Schumer worked closely with members of the Appropriations Committee to include funding for the project in this year’s spending bill.

“This critical funding will provide invaluable resources to Nassau law enforcement who are on the ground here on Long Island in the war against heroin,” Schumer said. “Even one teenager using heroin is one too many, but now on Long Island, the rash of heroin use has touched dozens of communities in all corners of Long Island. It has devastated families and severely impacted schools, and neighborhoods and villages. I will fight to see this funding through the full appropriations process.”

The current resources available to the Nassau County Police Department are no longer sufficient to combat the heroin epidemic in Nassau County. These funds will allow the Heroin Task Force to use full-time officers as well as the assistance of federal agents to focus not only on street level enforcement, but also the development of leads on mid-level dealers. The Task Force expects to double heroin related arrests in 2010 and ultimately increase the number of users seeking treatment through widespread public awareness campaigns.

Now that the bill has been approved by the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee, it will be sent to the full Senate Appropriations Committee which is set to pass the bill this afternoon. Following approval by the Full Committee and the Senate, the bill will move towards Conference with the House and then to the President for signature.

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