Law Enforcement Outreach Training Initiative: 2

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 Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center houses the Institute for Forensic Science, which provides specialized training in forensic science to law enforcement. Many of the law enforcement agencies located throughout the West Texas region are in rural and remote areas and operate with restricted county and city funding. Accessing training is constrained and is often cost prohibitive. In order to remedy this service gap, the Institute for Forensice Science proposes to utilize experts throughout the Texas Tech University System and national and regionally recognized educators to bring quality training to the law enforcement community. Since the Institute is equipped to provide facilities and multi-media technology, the grantee will convene six primary training programs to be offered during the life of the grant award. Training topics covered include crime scene investigation, digital forensics, death investigations, gang-related topics, violence against women, and topics of special interest related to campus violence and investigations. This strategy is intended to respond to precipitous or extraordinary increases in crime, or in a type or types of crime.

CA/NCF