FY 2009 Justice Assistance Grant

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).

Denver City and County will use the its Fiscal Year 2009 JAG award in the amount of $678,161 to support the crime prevention efforts of the Denver Police Department and the Denver District Attorney's Office. The Denver Police Department will purchase at least 60 encryption-capable radios and will conduct focused enforcement aimed at reducing crime and improving public perceptions of safety in targeted areas.

The Denver District Attorney's Victim Services Network (VSN) will improve collaboration between law enforcement, prosecution, community-based agencies, and communities to better respond to the needs of victims of crime. The VSN project is staffed by grant-funded positions. The 2009 JAG grant will enable the VSN Program Director and Community Advocate staff members to continue in their positions for the course of one year. The Denver District Attorney's Office will revise all victim service program protocols and will enhance existing intervention and prevention activities for these programs. To do this, the Denver District Attorney will hire a new Special Programs Assistant that will support many of the interagency victim service efforts. JAG funds will support this new position for one year. The Denver District Attorney's Office will also integrate its technology applications with the new automated systems now being implemented by the Police Department, the Sheriff's Office, and the District and County courts. For this effort, one new IT Programmer position will be hired for one year to focus on integration with these new systems.

NCA/NCF