Google gives 100's of millions of dollars to law enforcement agencies.
Providence, R.I. – Rhode Island law enforcement agencies that participated in an investigation that resulted in Google forfeiting $500 million last year will receive $230 million of that money, federal officials said Monday.
The East Providence police, North Providence police and the attorney general's office will each receive $60 million, Neronha said. State police will receive $45 million and the Rhode Island National Guard will receive $5 million. The shares are based on the time and resources each agency provided to the investigation, Neronha said.
The money can't be used to replace funds that have already been set aside for law enforcement purposes, meaning a community can't draw from the forfeited money to cover the annual budget for its police force, Neronha said. For the most part, the funds also cannot be used to pay salaries, although there are exceptions, according to a government guide on the program. The funds are subject to auditing and other monitoring, officials said.
Representatives from the local and state agencies receiving the money declined to detail how they plan to spend it, but they vowed to use it responsibly. The amounts coming into North Providence and East Providence represent windfalls. The annual police budget is $12 million in East Providence and $6 million in North Providence, according to their representatives.http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-04-02/google-law-enforcement-money/53951608/1