Interstate Corridors Project: I-10

This program is funded under both the Edward Byrne Memorial Competitive Grant Program (Byrne Competitive Program) and the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. Authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2009 (Pub. L. 111-8), the Byrne Competitive Program helps local communities improve the capacity of state and local justice systems and provides for national support efforts including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address local needs. The JAG Program (42 U.S.C. 3751(a)) is the primary provider of federal criminal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions, and JAG funds support all components of the criminal justice system. The JAG Program authorization also states that 'the Attorney General may reserve not more than 5 percent, to be granted to 1 or more States or units of local government, for 1 or more of the purposes specified in section 3751 of this title, pursuant to his determination that the same is necessary'(1) to combat, address, or otherwise respond to precipitous or extraordinary increases in crime, or in a type or types of crime' (42 U.S.C. 3756). This program is also funded in part by the Missing Alzheimer's Disease Patient Assistance Program (Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2009 PUB. L. 111-8), which provides funds to defray the cost of planning, designing, establishing, and operating locally based, proactive programs to protect and locate missing patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and other missing elderly individuals.

The National Initiatives: Enhancing Law Enforcement Program, administered by the Office of Justice Programs' (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), helps improve criminal justice systems and provides national programs and national efforts such as training and technical assistance to strategically address the needs of state and local justice systems and communities.

The Northwestern State University will implement the Interstate Corridor Consortiums initiative to facilitate and promote the adoption of best practices in local and regional policing, particularly where common crime concerns are encountered. They will create effective collaboration, information sharing, and problem solving among law enforcement and governmental entities as well as create public and private-sector partnerships along the I-95 and I-10 corridors. In addressing the precipitous increase in crime, the Northwestern State University will provide through the I-95 and I-10 initiatives, assistance to strengthen the capacity of crucial frontline team participants'local and state police'in their everyday responses to all crime and all hazards. They will help participants to explore enforcement tactics that have been successful in local crime prevention and reduction efforts and evaluate their potential in anti-terrorism activities. In addition, they will facilitate the development of stronger partnerships among policing agencies and between federal and local law enforcement enhancing local, regional, and national security. The Northwestern State University will: convene education and information sharing executive-level forums that address crime, disorder, and terrorism-related issues along the specific interstate corridor; facilitate communication and seek partnerships on a broad spectrum of emerging crime and domestic security trends and issues related to public safety for criminal justice practitioners along the I-95 and I-10 corridors; and produce a series of BJA policy papers and guides from the forums for law enforcement and governmental executives in other regions of the United States.

CA/NCF