IF RESULTS MATTER: Is it time for a Rural American Renaissance?
/By; Joel E. Gordon
The headline reads “Baltimore City Police pledge not to work with ICE; as dangerous gang moves into city.”– (WBFF-TV)
Baltimore City Police Commissioner Richard Worley said his officers will not work with ICE agents. "The mayor’s made that pretty clear, we’re gonna continue as we are now. We’re not going to notify," Worley said. Worley was talking about notifying ICE of arrestees who have an active ICE detainer.
But according to Maryland's ICE Director, Matthew Elliston, the mayor is pointing politics over public safety. “That’s all it is, is politics. There’s no public safety spin that you can try to put on not helping us arrest gang members," Elliston said.
According to Elliston, one of the most dangerous gangs, Tren De Aragua, is making its way to Baltimore City.
In spite of the facts this philosophy of protecting illegal violent and drug trafficking gang members over the need for public safety is replicated across many of America’s metropolitan sanctuary cities by political direction of the very people appointed and elected to keep the public at-large safe and as free from harm as possible.
How much money has been expended by our Federal government for Urban Revitalization and Urban Crime Reduction Funding? Federal funding was spent to provide resources needed to tackle crime effectively allowing cities and towns to implement new policing strategies, develop community programs focused on prevention, and to provide support services to at-risk populations.
FYI Picture Source: Free to use without attribution @ https://pixabay.com/photos/meadows-green-trees-mountains-hills-8313453/
Some of the Federal Funding Streams for Crime Reduction which aim to support crime reduction initiatives in urban areas include:
The Department of Justice (DOJ) Funding Programs
Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program
This program funds innovative community-based projects designed to reduce crime. Eligible applicants can include:
• State and local governments.
• Nonprofits with a focus on crime prevention.
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office Grants
These grants are designed to enhance local policing efforts, with a focus on community engagement. Applicants can look to secure funding for:
• Hiring new officers.
• Training current personnel.
Other Federal Agencies Involved in Crime Reduction Funding
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
HUD offers funding opportunities that often link housing improvements with crime reduction efforts. This includes support for:
• Neighborhood revitalization projects.
• Community development grants.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
SAMHSA provides funding for programs addressing substance abuse, which is often a root cause of urban crime. Communities can secure funds for:
• Treatment programs.
• Preventive services.
And yet these efforts and expenditures are apparently being squandered by these jurisdictions with sanctuary policies. Where is the accounting for results as funds are given?
Donald Trump's incoming Border Czar, Tom Homan, has vowed to slash federal funding to jurisdictions that do not cooperate with the administration's promises of mass deportations of undocumented migrants. "This is going to happen," Homan said of the threat to cut federal funding.
Why not shift a large amount of these funds to where they will be put to their highest and best use, that being for a revitalization for rural America? After all, it was largely rural American voters who elected Donald Trump and J.D. Vance to tackle these issues swiftly and effectively. The reality, many illegal alien entrants to America are currently residing in rural locations; many areas that remain ill-equipped and largely underfunded to deal with the issues at hand.
If ‘progressive” urban leaders refuse to spend federal funds for their intended benefit, it is long past time to allocate federal funding in support of long-standing largely forgotten rural America. I personally remain committed to pushing for this long deserved agenda in support of the rural lifestyle and American patriots.
Let the Rural Renaissance begin!
Joel E. Gordon, Managing Editor of BLUE Magazine, is a former Field Training Officer with the Baltimore City Police Department and is a past Chief of Police for the city of Kingwood, West Virginia. He has also served as vice-chair of a multi-jurisdictional regional narcotics task force. An award winning journalist, he is author of the book Still Seeking Justice: One Officer's Story and founded the Facebook group Police Authors Seeking Justice. Look him up at stillseekingjustice.com
