Charlotte County Florida Criminal Forensic and Substance Abuse Initiative

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program (JAG) allows states, tribes, and local governments to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime based on their own local needs and conditions. Grant funds can be used for state and local initiatives, technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, and information systems for criminal justice for any one or more of the following purpose areas: 1) law enforcement programs; 2) prosecution and court programs; 3) prevention and education programs; 4) corrections and community corrections programs; 5) drug treatment programs; 6) planning, evaluation, and technology improvement programs; and 7) crime victim and witness programs (other than compensation).

Charlotte County will utilize its Fiscal Year 2008 JAG funds of $20,879 to support its criminal forensic and substance abuse education initiatives. The substance abuse education component will fund incentives, such as shirts, pens, graduation certificates, and bags, to help reinforce a positive message of drug resistance for the DARE program. The criminal forensic component, with the goals of more efficient crime scene detection and reconstruction, as well as the reduction of the need to contract similar services to outside entities, will fund the following items: 1) facial identification software, which will eliminate the need for graphic artists and will expand the number of crimes for which persons of interest may be drawn; 2) animation software which will allow investigators reenact crime scenes in 2D and 3D views for courtroom presentations and training sessions; 3) blood stain pattern analysis software, which exports blood stain data directly to 3D crime scene reconstruction software, and is necessitated because the Florida Department of Law Enforcement no longer provides this service to law enforcement agencies; and 4) a forensic metal detector, which can reveal hidden weapons, projectiles, and casings in and around potential crime scenes.

NCA/NCF