North Port PD Mugsearch 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 North Port will use the 2009 JAG funds to purchase software for the North Port Police Department. Specifically, the department will purchase the MugSearch photo recognition program. The unique feature of this program is that it has the flexibility to automatically build a photo line-up around a specific known suspect or based on witness information. The MugSearch program saves these line-up links so that they can be utilized in future cases. Uniquely, once a suspect is identified, a Wanted poster can be created and forwarded to all applicable agencies.

NCA/NCF