Police Equipment Enhancement Program

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).

The Arlington County Police Department will utilize its Fiscal Year 2008 Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) award in the amount of $23,027 to enhance its police equipment. A portion of the 2008 JAG funds will augment existing funds for the replacement of chemical protective coveralls, an essential piece of an officer's personal protective equipment package, which officers are required to have with them at all times while on patrol. JAG funds will also be used to purchase 17 conducted energy devices for use by uniformed patrol officers while on duty. The department currently has 47 Tasers which are kept in a pool and must be checked out and returned before and after each shift because there aren't enough of them to equip each individual officer with one. The shortage of Tasers is exacerbated during shift changes, since most of the available Tasers are already on the street and not available to officers going out on patrol, which takes away an effective less than lethal force option.

NCA/NCF