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).

The disparate jurisdictions consisting of Jefferson County and the cities of Tarrant, Hoover, Homewood, Fairfield, Birmingham, and Bessemer will use their Fiscal Year 2009 JAG funds for technology improvements. The city of Birmingham will serve as the fiscal agent and will use the funds for their Law Enforcement and Technology Improvement Program. The Birmingham Police Department will use the funds to purchase new equipment to enable law enforcement personnel to perform their duties more effectively and efficiently. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office will use the funds to support planning, evaluation, and technology improvement program areas by purchasing Automatic Vehicle Locator technology. The city of Tarrant will enhance the department's current technological capacity to provide more efficient and effective services to the public, increase the ability of officers to enforce laws and conduct surveillance, as well as successfully assemble and communicate case information to the District Attorney's Office for successful prosecution. The Hoover Police Department will use the funds for the Technology Upgrade and Warrant Screening Interface Project to enhance their records management system. The city of Homewood will purchase video equipment to benefit the agency, community, and court system. The city of Fairfield will support the Mobile Data Terminal Program and use the funds to implement programs that will provide wireless computing capabilities to each new police vehicle. Finally, the city of Bessemer will use the funds to complete the purchase and implementation of the fully-integrated, scalable law enforcement information management system, to include Computer Aided Dispatch, Records Management System, Jail Management System, Mobile Data Solution, and Geographic Information modules.

NCA/NCF