PRESS RELEASE

HARRISBURG: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board awarded seven grants this week totaling $778,145.06 to local law enforcement agencies for training, prevention, enforcement, investigation and prosecution of illegal slot machines.

These were the first awards of this type under the $5 million annual grant program developed and approved by the Legislature as part of the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act. The funding is drawn from revenues generated from slot machine facilities.

The seven law enforcement organizations that received grants were:

• Lower Saucon Township Police Department, Northampton County – $9,570
• Pike County District Attorney – $22,166
• Washington County District Attorney – $153,749.90
• Allegheny County District Attorney – $250,000
• City of Philadelphia Police Department – $250,000
• Northern Regional Police Department, Allegheny County – $43,836.76
• Lower Paxton Township Police Department, Dauphin County – $48,822.40

The grants, which are to be used to enforce and prevent the unlawful operation of slot machines in this Commonwealth, are awarded in three different areas:

     1. Identification, Prevention and Deterrence: Grants may be awarded for the purpose of attending education and training events sponsored by authoritative agencies for the purpose of training officers, investigators or attorneys in techniques appropriate to the enforcement and prevention of the operation of unlawful slot machines in the Commonwealth. Grants may be awarded to conduct programs utilizing proven methods to attain deterrence or prevention of the illegal use of slot machines.

     2. Prevention, Enforcement, Investigation and Prosecution: Grants may be awarded to defray costs related to assigning officers or investigators to prevent, deter, enforce or investigate the illegal use of slot machines. Grants may be awarded to defray the cost of prosecuting crimes involving the illegal use of slot machines.

     3. Other Prevention and Enforcement Programs: Other programs that address prevention and enforcement of the use of illegal slot machines in the Commonwealth may be proposed.

The Board also announced that they would drop the requirement that the local jurisdiction contribute 20% in matching funds. After receiving the initial applications the Board determined that the match requirement may have been a deterrent to the smaller local law enforcement agencies and accepted applicants will be funded at 100% of their approved grant request.

The application deadline for the 2006-07 Local Law Enforcement Grants has again been extended, this time through October 31, 2007, to allow more local law enforcement agencies to take advantage of the newly relaxed program requirements. Information and applications are available on the PGCB website, www.pgcb.state.pa.us.

###