Justice Department grants Missouri $40M in stimulus funds

The city of Springfield is in line for more than $500,000 in federal economic stimulus funds for law enforcement, the U.S. Department of Justice said Friday.

In all, county and municipal law enforcement agencies in Missouri will receive approximately $15 million in DOJ grant funds under the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, one of the congressional leaders working on the bill. The state will receive another $25 million.

Funding to more than 100 Missouri cities and counties is through DOJ's Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program, a news release issued by McCaskill's office said. The grant should fund "the hiring and support for police officers, multijurisdictional drug and gang task forces, crime prevention and domestic violence programs, and courts, corrections, treatment, and justice information sharing initiatives," according to the release.

Local awards include:

• Greene County, $130,169

• Springfield, $501,595

• Republic, $23,512

• Willard, $10,904

• Polk County, $15,164

• Bolivar, $29,476

• Christian County, $81,100

• Ozark, $13,630

• Dallas County, $23,001

• Webster County, $20,445

• Taney County, $51,795

• Branson, $60,484

• Hollister, $18,912

• Stone County, $118,754

St. Louis will receive the largest sum, $4.2 million, followed by Kansas City's $3.6 million.

The complete breakdown of local governments in Missouri receiving money is at the link below.

McCaskill said the economic stimulus funds will be allocated through existing federal programs rather than earmarks.