Electronic Surveillance Intelligence Gathering Project

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program (JAG) allows states and units of local governments, including tribes, to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime based on their own state and 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, including 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 and enforcement programs; 6) planning, evaluation, and technology improvement programs; and 7) crime victim and witness programs (other than compensation).

The city of Fort Walton Beach will use the JAG funds to support the crime fighting efforts of the Fort Walton Beach Police Department. The department will obtain telephonic intercept user software, a virtual private network (VPN) router with ten tunnels, and a scanner. This will provide the department access through a secured router to specified location points, which will allow the department to collect telephone information such as caller-ID, subscriber information, out-going number dialed, in-coming numbers calling, length of phone call, and the general geographical location of where the target was located while calling. This will help identify suspects and associates, help locate areas of stored illegal drugs, and help create a link between all identified parties involved in illegal drug distribution rings.

NCA/NCF