Safe City Summer Enforcement 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 city of Hartford, through the Hartford Police Department, will use Recovery Act JAG funds to support the Safe City Summer Enforcement Initiative. The funds will be used to support officer overtime for the initiative. The main goals of the initiative will be to increase officer visibility in high crime and high density area through the use of bike patrols; reduce the number of homicides, shootings and robberies in the city; increase gun seizures; improve the livability of the most problematic neighborhoods in the City of Hartford; and partner with other law enforcement, criminal justice groups, neighborhood groups, and businesses. The city of Hartford is the second poorest major city in the United States. The Hartford Police Department has an estimated attrition rate of two officers a month. In order to fight crime and maintain a high level of service due to the decrease in officers available to patrol the streets, the use of overtime is necessary. The program will assist the HPD in deploying resources in an effort to prevent and reduce crime.

NCA/NCF