Rosebud County Sheriff's Office Equipment Purchase

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.

Rosebud County will use its Recovery Act JAG funds to purchase 15 low lethality X-26 tasers, 15 dataport sets to electronically track and document the individual use of each taser, 30 additional cartages to replace those that are deployed, and a taser training course for one deputy which include wages and travel expenses for three days. Tasers will be used to apprehend suspects and resolve incidents where a lethal response is undesirable and is the result of limited options available to the deputy making that decision. The acquisition of tasers will reduce the number of deaths and injuries arising from situations involving violent combatants and dramatically increase the safety of citizens and deputies associated with these incidents. Tasers will also reduce expenses incurred through deputy injury or absences and reduce the legal expenses associated with defending and paying claims from wrongful death and use of force litigation.

NCA/NCF