U.S. Nearly Quadruples California Drug War Funds, to $39.7 Million : Narcotics: California officials hail action and renew plea for more FBI and DEA agents.

The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday awarded California $39.7 million in anti-drug funds, nearly four times the amount granted last year, making California the first state to receive drug funds since Congress decided in November to increase such grants.

Law enforcement officials and political leaders widely hailed the announcement by U.S. Atty. Gen. Dick Thornburgh. Alan Ashby, a spokesman for California Atty. Gen. John K. Van de Kamp, sounded the one sour note, saying that, while the money is welcome, “if the President really intends a war, this isn’t enough, quite frankly. When it comes to drug problems, California is No. 1.”

California leaders, including Rep. Mel Levine (D-Santa Monica), also renewed their plea that the Bush Administration name California as a high-intensity drug-trafficking area, which would increase the state’s share of FBI and DEA agents, as well as anti-drug program funding.

“If the Administration really claims to understand the seriousness of the California drug crisis,” Levine said in a statement, “they should also immediately declare Los Angeles a high-intensity drug area.”

Under the program announced Friday, more than 64% of the funds will go to cities and counties, according to a spokesman for the Department of Justice. The rest will be used by the state.

The spokesman said that $10.1 million to be distributed by the state will support 36 existing projects involving investigative task forces, special prosecuting initiatives and a variety of other law-enforcement efforts. In addition, funds will be distributed by the state to every county based on a formula that analyzes population and crime severity from the state’s Crime Index Reporting System.

Los Angeles, the most active drug center and the biggest city in the state, would be expected to receive a significant share of the funds, the official said.

“That kind of money is bound to help,” said Cmdr. William Booth of the Los Angeles Police Department. “I couldn’t give you an itemized account of how it will be spent . . . but we can make good use of it, I guarantee it.”

“Forty million, you say? That’s wonderful!” said Craig Wilson, aide to state Sen. John Seymour (R-Anaheim), chairman of the Senate’s Substance Abuse Committee.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Sherman Block said that if county funds are distributed based on population and crime statistics as announced by federal officials Friday, “that is welcome news.”

He said that in 1989, the state required cities and counties to compete for the year’s federal grant of $10.8 million but did not base decisions on population and crime statistics.

If the new formula is followed, Block said, “This is significant. . . $40 million, spread out on that basis, should make some meaningful dollars available to Southern California.”

The award comes just a few months after Southern California officials increased their pleas to Washington for more help, following the discovery of 21 tons of cocaine in a warehouse in Sylmar last fall. The cocaine was protected by a single $6 padlock, leading law enforcement officials to speculate that drug traffickers “felt safe” moving huge quantities of drugs into the United States through Southern California.

Thornburgh, in his statement Friday, said that California was granted the money within two weeks of applying for the funds.

“I am particularly pleased that this year we are moving expeditiously to provide grant money to the states and local governments, . . .” Thornburgh’s statement said. “The money is being distributed less than six weeks after the President signed the appropriations legislation.”

Susan Trowbridge, a spokeswoman for Gov. George Deukmejian, said that the state’s share of the grant will be incorporated into the Jan. 10 budget being prepared by the governor.

She said the state “has to pass through 64.37% of the funds to the local communities,” but can use the rest at its discretion. Van de Kamp’s spokesman said that about $8 million of the state’s share will go to the recently approved Crackdown program, a concerted effort to fight crack cocaine.

Wilson, of Seymour’s office, said that the senator would like to see a significant share of the funds distributed “along the southern border (between California and Mexico) and in Los Angeles.”

Wilson said that California is still awaiting a special designation by Bush as a high-intensity drug trafficking area. A state Senate resolution, authored by Seymour and signed by Deukmejian, has been sent to the President, he said.