FY 2009 Justice Assistance Grant Program

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).

Albemarle County will use its Fiscal Year 2009 JAG award to provide additional community policing projects and activities to promote the prevention and control of crime. This will be accomplished through grant funded overtime projects and activities involving problem-solving, crime prevention, and safety enhancement while working directly with citizens. The projects can originate from citizens, requests or complaints, or officers' awareness of a problem or a neighborhood initiative. Some of the funds will go to support Neighborhood Safety Projects that are multi-service neighborhood social and physical improvement projects. Many of these activities and projects would not occur without this funding. Budgeting and funding for the police department is quite restricted due to the current economic climate. Overtime is closely monitored and often restricted. In addition, staffing is short due to expanding needs for services and the shrinking of local government employment due to revenue shortfalls. Vacant positions generally become frozen positions. One of the effects of this staffing shortage has been to eliminate the staffing within the Neighborhood Resources Unit of the Community Support Division and reassign the officers to Patrol. The problem solving projects and activities that had been the responsibility of this Unit ceased for the most part. Now such special assignments require overtime funding.

NCA/NCF