The federal government announced Monday it will immediately unfreeze payments that help fund New Hampshire’s response to drug abuse.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced in December it would suspend about $300 million in “equitable sharing” payments that it makes to state and local law enforcement agencies as part of the federal asset forfeiture program. The controversial program allows local law enforcement agencies to keep 80 percent of a suspect’s assets they seize under federal law.
The payments will resume immediately, according to U.S. D.O.J officials.
“In the months since we made the difficult decision to defer equitable sharing payments because of the $1.2 billion rescinded from the Asset Forfeiture Fund, the financial solvency of the fund has improved to the point where it is no longer necessary to continue deferring Equitable Sharing payments,” said U.S. D.O.J. spokesman Peter Carr in a statement.
U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Kelly Ayotte, along with Gov. Maggie Hassan had called for a restoration of the payments
The New Hampshire Department of Justice received an average of $256,000 annually in equitable sharing payments, which it uses to buy equipment and vehicles. The Nashua Police Department uses the payments to fund its narcotics unit.