VIDALIA &8212; The Red River Delta Law Enforcement Planning Council told its board members Tuesday it would have less money to grant its eight parishes.

With money that would ordinarily go to local law enforcement being diverted into the Department of Homeland Security, the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement &8212; of which Red River Delta is a district operator &8212; is receiving less to spread among its clients.

&8220;For fiscal year 2006, we are projecting we&8217;ll receive 34 percent less money from the federal government,&8221; Grant Manager Jeremy Edwards said.

The federal government provides the state commission with 75 percent of its funding; state money makes up the difference.

The state commission has several major grant programs it oversees: Justice Assistance, Violence Against Women Act, Crime Victims Assistance, and Juvenile Justice and Prevention.

For 2006, the state commission has allocated Red River Delta $333,076 to grant its district.

The Vidalia Police Department obtained its K-9 dog with help from Red River Delta grant money. Red River also helps fund the Concordia Narcotics Task Force.

The parish also has a terminal linked to the Lexis-Nexis database system, a program Red River Delta spends $50,000 on per year.

Board members, made up of sheriffs, chiefs of police, district attorneys and judges from the area&8217;s eight parishes, were concerned about the downward trend of federal money coming to local law enforcement.

Vidalia Police Chief Billy Hammers hosted the bi-monthly event. Hammers and Concordia Parish Sheriff Randy Maxwell are members of board of directors.