Mercer County Gang and Gun Suppression Initiative

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 disparate jurisdictions consisting of the County of Mercer, City of Trenton, and the Townships of Ewing and Hamilton will use their 2009 JAG award in the amount of $255,505 to support personnel and equipment purchases. The County of Mercer, serving as the fiscal agent, will use $21,186 to fund an internship program to support the gang unit. The interns will be used to continually update the gang database in order to provide the officers with up-to-the-minute information on gang activities and affiliations. The City of Trenton will use $187,074 to purchase six Ford Crown Victoria marked patrol vehicles and accessories. The vehicles will be used for general police patrols directed at the detection and suppression of illegal behavior. The Township of Ewing will use $17,065 to fund technology improvements for their new police cars and to pay costs associated with administering their JAG funds. They will purchase a mobile digital video system, info-cop licenses, and radar units. The Township of Hamilton will use $30,180 to fund overtime to proactively combat both gang activity and graffiti and to staff the Mercer County Gang Task Force and to purchase high resolution cameras to focus on high gang and graffiti areas.

NCA/NCF