I.M.A.G.E. has arranged for all donations received by businesses and individuals to be tax deductible to the donor by sending a receipt to the donor in the value donated. I.M.A.G.E. welcomes corporate and business donations in the form of annual pledges and if the donor chooses a three or five year pledge, I.M.A.G.E. will send invoice to that donor as a reminder each of the pledged years. I.M.A.G.E. will then upon receiving the annual pledge funds issue a receipt in that amount for tax purposes. This method is favored as I.M.A.G.E. can now project from year to year the funds available more accurately and coordinate investigations more accordingly. It also makes it much easier on the donor of the pledge as there is nothing for them to remember until they receive the pledge invoice request.

If you are planning to donate or pledge an amount to the I.M.A.G.E. Drug Task Force, please click on the “pledge form” link. You may complete the form via computer and print it out and mail or simply print the form and clearly print the required information and mail it to the address at the bottom of the form.

I.M.A.G.E. wishes to sincerely express our deepest thank you to those in the communities of Steuben, Dekalb, Noble and LaGrange counties for their donations and support in the fight against drugs. Without this joint support, our successes in this fight would be very minimal.

Donation / Pledge Form [pdf]

---

The I.M.A.G.E. Drug Task Force has been in existence for over fourteen years and, since the beginning, has been funded by a combination of funding sources.

Five of the participating agencies, Auburn Police, Kendallville Police, Noble County Sheriff, Steuben County Sheriff and LaGrange County Sheriff each contribute one full-time police officer, the officer’s salary and benefits, a vehicle, fuel, weapons, clothing and other pieces of equipment, as well as limited operating expenses. The Garrett Police Department has in the past supplied manpower on a part-time basis, as their schedule will allow, at no cost to I.M.A.G.E. Local donations, seized monies, and court ordered restitution are also used to supplement operating costs; however, these forms of funding are very sporadic and are not a dependable source of income.  Local grants have been utilized in past years to update, repair or replace used, worn, broken or outdated equipment or supplement operating costs. Local grants are also sporadic in nature and are not a source that can be relied upon.

The Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance (JAG) Grant has also been utilized for many years. It has been used to cover operating expenses and confidential funds that cannot be completely covered by the other means listed above. The Byrne Grant has always been a dependable source, but has recently been subject to strict and tough budget cuts by the Federal Government. Up until 2007 I.M.A.G.E. was able to secure $40,000.00 from J.A.G.; in 2007 that amount was reduced to approximately $13,000.00. We believe that that this reduction will continue for many years as much of the money available for programs such as I.M.A.G.E. are now being funneled to Homeland Security needs. The reduction of the J.A.G. grant has caused the need to secure other means for funding the I.M.A.G.E. program.

Operation of a successful drug enforcement program will always be one of the most costly endeavors a law enforcement agency will undertake. However, we are confident that the benefits provided to our communities and citizens are money well spent. I.M.A.G.E. will continue to seek alternative funding sources while attempting to cut costs without sacrificing quality.  We will explore alternative grant opportunities, work with our local prosecuting attorneys and judges to ensure more frequent and dependable reimbursement from offenders, as well as explore the possibility of more civil seizures.  I.M.A.G.E. will also continue to solicit funds from area organizations that recognize the benefit of the task force’s efforts.

All participating agencies will continue to support I.M.A.G.E. as they understand the benefits and importance of this agency. All agencies have agreed to maintain current funding levels and, if possible, increase these levels in 2007.