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 the county of Johnson and the cities of Olathe and Overland Park will utilize their Fiscal Year 2008 JAG award in the amount of $37,939 to purchase and enhance CopLink technology and equipment that will benefit the entire county. CopLink is a regional criminal justice data sharing project known as the CopLink Solution Suite for the Emerging Threat Analysis Capability (ETAC). This software technology was created for the purpose of sharing criminal records and digital mug shot information. These enhancements have been beneficial in improving communication among law enforcement agencies, without regard to jurisdiction boundaries, and have helped solve numerous criminal cases. The JAG funds will be utilized to partially help fund the purchase of an enhancement to the ETAC/CopLink system in order to develop an interface that will provide for the exchange of digital mug shots.

NCA/NCF