Attorney General Kris Mayes has called on the U.S. Department of Justice to reinstate funding to the National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA) after recent budget cuts. These cuts, made during the Trump administration, have sparked concern about their potential impact on public safety and crime victim support in Arizona.
In a statement, Mayes described the funding cut as "awful and short-sighted." She argued that these funds are crucial for supporting crime victims and maintaining public safety. "Pulling the plug on proven, long-standing partnerships makes no sense, not from a government efficiency perspective or a public safety perspective," she said.
The NCJA has historically served as an important connection between federal agencies and state criminal justice commissions, including Arizona’s. The Justice Department's decision, reportedly made without consulting the states, may disrupt crime reduction and victim service programs nationwide.
Mayes emphasized the potential repercussions of the funding cut, especially for victims of violent crime and domestic abuse. "The Trump administration can’t claim to be pro-law enforcement and then defund the tools states like Arizona use to protect our communities," she noted.
The cuts in Arizona encompass $1 million earmarked for prosecutor and law enforcement ethics training, including a program titled What You Do Matters: Lessons from the Holocaust.