Christen Bejar
ABC15.com
PHOENIX, AZ- County supervisors announced Tuesday that the Maricopa County Adult Probation Department would accept stimulus money for 2009 funding.
The Adult Probation Department is the first in the nation to do so.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors recently voted unanimously to accept $685,993 in stimulus funding for the departments’ Fugitive Apprehension Unit, which combats narcotics activity along the Mexican border.
According to a Tuesday news release, the stimulus money for the Adult Probation Department is vital as the department serves more warrants for narcotics activity than any other law enforcement agency in the nation.
The funding is part of the $5.5 million dollars from the American Recovery Investment Act that has been given to Arizona to fight crime and drug trafficking as outlined in the Justice Department's Southwest Border Strategy.
Mary Rose Wilcox, the supervisor of District 5 of the board of supervisors, said she was pleased with the decision.
"This is another first for Maricopa County," Wilcox said. "We are honored that the Justice Department has singled out the county Adult Probation Department to lead the nation in efforts to combat narcotics activity and drug trafficking."
Five positions for surveillance officers will be funded for two years under the accepted stimulus money.
The Adult Probation Departments’ acceptance of stimulus funding brings the total of government aid granted to Arizona to $45.7 million dollars for various projects.
