WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded $2,089,892 to organizations and state agencies throughout Maine.

The funds are distributed as follows:

. $150,000 to the city of Calais as Weed and Seed Guide and Application Kit funding to help law enforcement agencies prevent, control and reduce violent crime, drug abuse and gang activity through community involvement and crime prevention initiatives.

. $642,630 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grant to the Maine Department of Public Safety.

. $350,000 to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services as part of the Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws Block Grants Program.

. $398,449 to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services as part of the Developing and Enhancing Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, to help regulate and prevent the abuse of prescriptions drugs by analyzing controlled substance prescription data through a centralized database.

. $149,793 to the Volunteers of America Northern New England Inc. in Brunswick as These Weed and Seed Guide and Application Kit funding.

. $399,020 to Cumberland County to support the county’s Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders Program.

In announcing the grants, U.S. Sens. Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins, R-Maine, said that the funds would help “coordinate the efforts of both the local law enforcement agencies and the community to prevent and control crime. It is critical that Maine’s law enforcement entities receive the funding necessary to keep our state safe and secure, and we are pleased to see such federal support for their efforts.”