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 city of Burlington's goals for their Fiscal Year 2009 JAG award are to enhance their community policing, engage city neighborhoods in crime prevention strategies, provide support to victims of crime, augment offender re-entry efforts, apply intervention strategies on the street level to reduce criminal behavior and lessen the burden on law enforcement resources, and proactively address the issue of racial profiling. These programs are aimed at reducing the stigma associated with crime, supporting victims, and decreasing recidivism rates.

The project approach will be multi-faceted. The Burlington Police Department will
strengthen its community outreach program, in particular its outreach to youth and an
increasingly diverse population in the City. The City's Community Justice Center will maintain its offender re-entry job support program, its youth restorative justice program, and victim-support services. These programs are aimed at reducing the stigma associated with crime, supporting victims, and decreasing recidivism rates. The City's Center for Community and Neighborhoods will engage directly with residents in neighborhoods to develop crime prevention strategies and problem solving before issues become criminal matters. This includes a focus on graffiti prevention and removal. The Burlington Justice Assistance Project will also support the Street Outreach Program ' which utilizes street-level outreach workers in the downtown area to intervene in situations where a law enforcement response might otherwise be required. These workers are trained in particular to deal with mental health issues. This program includes collaboration with local businesses, the Burlington Police Department, and area health providers. Finally, the Burlington Justice Program will allow for the needed completion of an analysis of statistics collected by the Burlington Police Department related to the issue of racial profiling. This proactive effort has involved the input of community members, local groups, and countless volunteer hours in order to address this issue. JAG funds will allow this process to continue to the next step of data analysis and continued engagement with the community and Burlington Police Department on this issue.

NCA/NCF