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Leavitt aims $30M at violent crime and $11M to boost child-welfare services
Summary
Governor Michael O. Leavitt proposed a $27.5 million crime-and-violence package (bringing total to $30 million with prior allocations) that includes $5 million for prevention and creation of a gang coordinator, and announced $11 million in additional child-welfare funding (a 51% general-fund increase).
Governor Michael O. Leavitt told legislators the budget contains a multi‑part package to address crime, youth violence and child welfare. He said the package adds $27.5 million in new funds to the state’s crime-and-violence response and — when combined with $2.5 million allocated earlier in a special session — brings the total to $30 million for the effort.
Leavitt emphasized prevention-oriented spending inside the package, identifying $5,000,000 earmarked for neighborhood and school prevention activities and proposing creation of a statewide gang coordinator to oversee programs. “It includes the creation of a gang coordinator to oversee all of these activities,” he said.
On child welfare, Leavitt said the budget proposes $11,000,000 in additional spending — a 51% increase in general-fund expenditures for the child-welfare system — and pledged that the administration will publish full program details in January. “This is not a responsibility that tolerates failure, and we will meet that responsibility,” he said.
Leavitt said some expansions (youth facilities, probation officers) and tougher gun laws were adopted in a recent special session; the new funding is intended as the next step to reduce youth violence and to support community mobilization efforts that followed that session.
No formal votes occurred during the address; the governor urged the legislature to work with the administration on implementation details in the upcoming session.
