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operating costs. A recent example involved the courts sending us electronic court <br /> <br /> calendars. The demands on our personnel and equipment demands have increased with <br /> the shift of responsibility to copy and distribute the calendars from the courts to our <br /> office. Our office tries to be fiscally responsible by creatively adjusting to these new <br /> demands, and not over estimating the needs and responding with technological solutions. <br /> However, the increasing court and legislatively requirements are not easily predicted. <br /> We are grateful for Mayor's support and inclusion of some of our budgetary <br /> requests, however, there are additional items for which we request your support. These <br /> items include funding fora Clerk II position for the Kona Office, an Investigator V for <br /> the Hilo Office and Crime Prevention and Intervention discretionary funds. The <br /> prioritized list of supplemental requests is attached. <br /> A Clerk II position is requested for the Kona office to assist in processing <br /> discovery which has been burdensome because of deadlines imposed by the Court. The <br /> Investigator V position in the Hilo office is needed to support the drug task force deputies <br /> with complex drug distribution prosecution, to provide support for trial deputies, to <br /> monitor service attempts and capture of outstanding fugitives, and monitox special <br /> projects with the courts and police to increase service of warrants, penal summons and <br /> subpoenaes to counter the continuing and expected police personnel shortages. <br /> A discretionary fund is requested to provide the Office the ability to support <br /> projects or programs which address crime prevention through education and <br /> collaboration. Our focus areas include domestic violence, child abuse and juvenile <br /> delinquency. <br /> We continue to proactively seek federal and state funding to support the main <br /> focus areas of the Office and work actively with other public and private agencies and <br /> community groups to collaborate on development of various grant projects. Available <br /> funding, however, is decreasing mainly due to the federal government's focus on <br /> homeland security. Programs affected include: Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), Violence <br /> Against Women (VAWA), Juvenile Accountability Block Grant (JABG); Title V <br /> Juvenile Delinquency Prevention, Local Law Enforcement Block Grant and Edward <br /> Byrne Memorial Grant programs. These cuts greatly impact the Office and the services <br /> provided to victims and the community we serve. <br /> As you review our budget, please consider as our policy statement the following: <br /> That prosecution and public safety are core functions of the County of Hawaii; <br /> ¦ That prosecution is a component of law enforcement; <br /> That an effective Prosecutor's Office is part of providing for the safety of our <br /> community; <br /> • That the necessary resources will be provided to those who go face to face with <br /> murderers, drug dealers, robbers, rapists and give support to victims of their <br /> crimes; and <br /> <br />