Chicago/Cook County FY2008 Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) 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 disparate jurisdictions of Cook County and the cities of Chicago, Chicago Heights, Evanston, and Harvey, the town of Cicero, and the village of Maywood will use their Fiscal Year 2008 JAG award in the amount of $1,550,960 to continue their public safety efforts. The fiscal agent, the city of Chicago, will use $1,106,707 to: 1) purchase marked cars, canine vehicles, and other vehicles necessary for the Chicago Police Department to maintain its fleet strength; 2) purchase additional computer workstations, servers, printers, and related software, to be distributed on a Department-wide basis in order to provide continued access to the Criminal History Records Information System (CHRIS) and the Citizens and Law Enforcement Analysis and Reporting (CLEAR) system; 3) purchase digital radios to continue the replacement cycle for radios and to ready the Department for the anticipated conversion to digital transmissions; and 4) fund the continuing campaign to raise awareness and participation in the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) program. Cook County will use $337,884 to: 1) fund substance abuse prevention services, including assessment, residential treatment, toxicology screening, individual and group counseling, case management, and health education; 2) fund officer overtime to support higher visibility in high crime areas and public spaces, such as parks and shopping malls, for the purpose of enhancing prevention and community policing efforts; and 3) hire 4.57 FTE law clerks for the State's Attorneys Office. The city of Chicago Heights will use $21,482 to fund officer overtime to provide additional enforcement in the areas of narcotics, gangs, and traffic enforcement. The city of Evanston will use $18,209 to fund overtime for two police officers for purposes of covering 'hot spot' corridors during the high-crime summer months. The city of Harvey will use $23,416 to purchase two mobile surveillance and recording units with high resolution and infrared optics and a thermal imaging camera in order to aid officers in the surveillance of illegal drug activities in difficult-to-patrol areas, and to assist in the development of reasonable cause for an arrest. The town of Cicero will use $18,066 to fund overtime for its recently-formed Homicide/Cold Case Unit. The village of Maywood will use $25,196 to: 1) purchase three in-car video cameras to enhance the performance of patrol officers and to help them solve complaints brought forth by citizens; 2) purchase three desktop computers to enhance the ability of two Sergeants and an Investigative Clerk to perform their daily tasks; and 3) lease a fuel-efficient, police-equipped motorcycle for patrol and community policing activity for one year. The city of Chicago, as fiscal agent, will use six percent of the award for administrative costs as allowable under this program.

NCA/NCF