New law lets Isabella County Sheriff’s Department spend $40,000 in drug bust money for any law enforcement purpose

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Michigan police departments will now be able to spend proceeds earned from selling property taken from drugs busts for any law enforcement purpose.

After the legislation passed in the state house and senate, Gov. Snyder signed it into law Oct. 4. It went into effect Friday.

The previous law restricted the funds, allowing them only to be used in drug education and prevention programs, as well as drug enforcement.

“That law was passed years ago,” said Rep. Kurt Heise, R-Plymouth. “Cities and townships have surpluses of this kind of money. It doesn’t stop them from spending on drug enforcement or education, it just gives them a different option.”

Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski said his department has about $40,000 in the drug fund that was collected over a period of seven to 10 years.

Mioduszewski said the new law will offer more flexibility.

The Michigan State Police Department has seen a reduction in the state police budget of $17.7 million for the 2012 fiscal year.

“Before,  it had to go to drug education programs like D.A.R.E or enforcement, such as police dogs,” he said. “But there are more pressing problems and the money needs to go toward those.”

Mioduszewski said because of budget constraints, the department has not been able to get the three new police cars to rotate out with higher mileage cars like they have in the previous years.

Some of the money will be used toward the new cars and some money will go toward staffing.

“One of the issues we’re dealing with is paying our BAYANET (Bay Area Narcotics Enforcement Team) officer,” he said.

Heise said the new law will help the cash-strapped departments, and representatives will try to do anything to help supplement the budget.

He said other towns like Plymouth have $400,000 to spend and Canton has half a million dollars.

The money can help keep police on the streets and keep residents safe, he said.

“Many departments have spent all they can on enforcement and education,” Heise said.