On December 26, the U.S. president signed the fiscal year (FY) 2008 appropriations package into law.

Overall, the funding levels are higher than those proposed in the administration’s budget, released in February. However, funding for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne-JAG) program suffered a significant cut: the program was funded at just $170 million, a 68 percent decrease compared with the current level of $520 million.

IACP president Ronald C. Ruecker sent a letter to key members of the House and Senate expressing the IACP’s dissatisfaction with the cuts. In the letter, President Ruecker stated, “It is the IACP’s belief that a funding cut of this magnitude will severely reduce, if not cripple, the ability of law enforcement agencies to protect their communities from crime and violence.”