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 city of Spartanburg will use its Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 JAG award in the amount of $25,067 to purchase law enforcement equipment. The Spartanburg Public Safety Department, in command of providing police and fire services to the city, intends to use the $25,067 from the 2008 JAG award to assist in the purchase of two in-car video cameras and one surveillance camera. Currently, patrol vehicles use analog VHS recording devices that are deteriorating and quickly becoming obsolete. A majority of the equipment is non-functional and unable to be repaired, leaving many patrol cars without in-car video capability. The Public Safety Department plans is to eventually replace all analog equipment with digital technology, sixty cameras in all. The department started this replacement process in 2007 and was able to install a server, receiver, and twenty-three cameras with FY 2007 JAG funding. This year, the city will purchase an additional ten cameras with the 2008 JAG funds, the total number of replacement cameras will be brought to thirty-five. These cameras will be used on all vehicle stops to protect officers, document vehicle searches, nuisance abatement situations, surveillance to obtain probable cause for warrants, and utilized as court evidence in DUI cases. The video surveillance camera will be utilized as a pole camera in one of five identified hot spots: Highland, Northside, Southside, Downtown, and Baltimore/Wofford Streets. Each of these locations was identified as having an increased rate of drive-by shootings, car break-ins, burglaries, and assaults over the past year. Without the funding to purchase replacement video equipment and advanced technology, the Spartanburg Public Safety Department will not be able to adequately protect its officers or safe-guard the community from criminal activity.

NCA/NCF