Fiscal Year 2008 Justice Assistance Grant 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 Monroe County and the City of Rochester will use the Fiscal Year 2008 JAG award in the amount of $82,530 to support law enforcement salaries. Specifically, the City will apply its share ($37,138.50) toward the salary of a victims assistant specialist. The specialist will establish relationships with crime victims in order to gain more information about the crime, and provide support and victim assistance in an effort to reduce the risk of further victimization. The County, through the probation department, will apply its share ($37,138.50) toward the salary of a probation officer who will be assigned to the Operation NightWatch program. Through Operation NightWatch, probationers become the subject of ongoing curfew checks and other enforcement strategies meant to prevent violations of the terms of their release. The program's goal is to be an effective tool in both containment of gang, drug, and gun involved probationers and intelligence gathering from that population. As the designated fiscal agent for the joint award between the city and county, the City of Rochester Police will be responsible for overall grant management, and will use ten-percent ($8,253) of the total award amount for administrative purposes.

NCA/NCF