WHEREAS, The federal government provides leadership and services in funding administration and criminal justice policy development to support the State of California to achieve safer communities; and

WHEREAS, The United States Department of Justice, through the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) which is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, administers various law enforcement program initiatives; and

WHEREAS, BJA provides support for law enforcement, courts, corrections, treatment, victim services, technology, and prevention initiatives that strengthen the nation’s criminal justice system; and

WHEREAS, It is recognized that most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods and the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers in the State of California; and

WHEREAS, Various law enforcement program initiatives such as the federal Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program, the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, the Southwest Border Prosecution Initiative, and the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program are carried out in partnership with local law enforcement officers; and

WHEREAS, The State of California recognizes that these programs have resulted in major innovations in crime prevention, including drug courts, gang prevention strategies, and prisoner reentry programs; and

WHEREAS, The federal State Criminal Alien Assistance Program was created in 1994 for the purpose of reimbursing states for the costs of incarcerating undocumented criminals; and

WHEREAS, Federal law provides that the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program provide federal payments to states and localities that incur costs for incarcerating undocumented criminals; and

WHEREAS, There are almost 17,000 self-reported undocumented criminals in the California prison system; and

WHEREAS, In the 2009–10 fiscal year, the cost per incarcerated individual in California was $52,363 each year; and

WHEREAS, In the 2009–10 fiscal year, it cost the State of California over $885 million to house these undocumented criminals; and

WHEREAS, In the 2009–10 fiscal year, the State of California was reimbursed from the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program in an amount equal to only 11 cents for every dollar spent to house these undocumented criminals; and

WHEREAS, Budget cuts for public funding for law enforcement programs at both the national and state level may have a devastating effect on the viability of crime prevention programs; and

WHEREAS, At a time when adverse economic conditions may lead to increased crime, it is important that the federal government increase funding to support our law enforcement officers, who risk their lives daily to keep Americans safe; now, therefore, be it