Recovery Act Justice Assistance Grant Program

This grant program is authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5) (the 'Recovery Act') and by 42 U.S.C. 3751(a). The stated purposes of the Recovery Act are: to preserve and create jobs and promote economic recovery; to assist those most impacted by the recession; to provide investments needed to increase economic efficiency by spurring technological advances in science and health; to invest in transportation, environmental protection, and other infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits; and to stabilize state and local government budgets, in order to minimize and avoid reductions in essential services and counterproductive state and local tax increases. The Recovery Act places great emphasis on accountability and transparency in the use of taxpayer dollars. Among other things, it creates a new Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board and a new website ' Recovery.gov ' to provide information to the public, including access to detailed information on grants and contracts made with Recovery Act funds.

The Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program funded under the Recovery Act is the primary provider of federal criminal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions. Recovery JAG funds support all components of the criminal justice system, from multi-jurisdictional drug and gang task forces to crime prevention and domestic violence programs, courts, corrections, treatment, and justice information sharing initiatives. Recovery JAG funded projects may address crime through the provision of services directly to individuals and/or communities and by improving the effectiveness and efficiency of criminal justice systems, processes, and procedures.

Franklin County was selected by the disparate jurisdictions to serve as the fiscal agent, and the group agreed to the following Recovery Act JAG allocations: Franklin County, $2,439,588; Columbus, $1,770,000; Bexley, $20,480; Dublin, $11,330; Gahanna, $49,894; Grove City, $38,346; Hilliard, $20,916; Reynoldsburg, $63,838; Upper Arlington, $12,637; Westerville, $21,788; Whitehall, $108,720; Worthington, $10,458; and Clinton Township, $20,916.

The Franklin County Sheriff's Office will use funds for its Interdiction Concentrated Enforcement (ICE), Stop Teenage Opportunity to Purchase (S.T.O.P.), and Street Smarts programs, designed to prevent and reduce criminal activity. The Sheriff's Office will hire a civilian warrant clerk, a finance clerk, IT specialists, and college interns to support law enforcement initiatives. The Office of Homeland Security and Justice Programs will use funds to develop an Offender Reentry Service Coordination initiative, collaborate with the Department of Youth Services on juvenile offender reentry, establish a Supervised Visitation and Exchange program, provide funding for community-based prevention and education projects through a competitive solicitation, and administer and manage the grant award as the fiscal agent.

The City of Columbus will provide funds to the city police department to rehire 26 police officers and two fingerprint technicians, restore funding to the Community Crime Patrol program, hire a forensic scientist, and support technology for its records management system. Funds will also be used by the City Attorney to sustain and increase victim assistance by increasing investigator hours and funding a stalking advocate position. Bexley, Dublin, Gahanna, Grove City, Reynoldsburg, Upper Arlington, Westerville, Whitehall, Worthington, and Clinton Township will purchase equipment to increase public safety and officer efficiency and safety (e.g., training equipment, GPS, electronic ticketing system, automated license plate reader, tasers, fingerprint database search system, and police cruisers). Hilliard will hire a police officer, and Whitehall will provide officer overtime.

NCA/NCF