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 the county of Bristol, city of New Bedford, city of Fall River, and city of Taunton have agreed to use the Fiscal Year 2008 Justice Assistance Grant to pay overtime costs for law enforcement officers and purchase law enforcement equipment within each of their respective localities.

The city of New Bedford will use its portion of the grant to pay for overtime costs incurred from a variety of law enforcement directed initiatives and to upgrade surveillance, special operations, and communications equipment.

The city of Fall River will use grant funding to pay overtime costs and upgrade equipment. This will include the purchase of computers, TASERs and other technology.

The city of Taunton will pay overtime for local law enforcement officers.

The Bristol County Sheriff's Office, the fiscal agent, will use the remaining funds to pay for a single-purpose, explosive-detection canine.

NCA/NCF