Partnership, Participation & Pride Initiative

The Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program, administered by the Office of Justice Programs' (OJP's) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), furthers the Department's mission by assisting state and local jurisdictions in improving the criminal justice system and assisting communities in preventing drug abuse and crime. In fiscal year 2007, the Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program will focus on funding local, regional, and national efforts within six major categories: 1) targeting violent crime; 2) preventing crime and drug abuse; 3) enhancing local law enforcement; 4) enhancing local courts; 5) enhancing local corrections and offender reentry; and 6) facilitating justice information sharing. All categories combat, address, or otherwise respond to precipitous or extraordinary increases in crime, or in a type or types of crime.

The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe will use the 2007 Byrne Discretionary: Preventing Crime and Drug Abuse grant award in the amount of $259,000 to enable the Tribal Police Department to implement its "Partnership, Participation & Pride Initiative." The Police Department's program is designed to stop the trafficking and manufacturing of illegal dugs on the Reservation and in nearby areas by increasing the Department's role in the multi-jurisdictional Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Elimination Team. The 3-P Initiative is also designed to reduce the level of drug and alcohol-related crimes on the Reservation by convening approximately 12 Reservation-wide drug and alcohol awareness training sessions. The grant will also be used by the Police Department to create an internet-based Crime Watch e-Hotline Portal to be operated and maintained by the Tribe's Information Technology Department. The e-Hotline Portal will enable the Police Department to receive information from citizens regarding illegal activities as well as to send out public safety, health and other information to its list of e-Hotline subscribers. The decision by the Lower Elwha Community Council to enable the Police Department to use the 2007 Byrne Discretionary grant in this way reflects their strong commitment to ensuring the health, safety and protection of the Tribe.

CA/NCF