Recovery Act JAG 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.

The Town of East Hampton will use the Recovery Act JAG funds to reduce violent crime and quality of life crime in certain identified, concentrated, 'party areas' in the jurisdiction. The town's goals will be accomplished by using the funds from this grant to pay overtime for two police officers to work from midnight to 4:00 a.m. on weekend nights from June 20, 2009 through Labor Day weekend 2009. These officers will be assigned to bicycle and foot patrol. The town instituted this summer policing program over the last three years using part-time police officers in these specific areas. However, this year due to the downturn in the economy the program was going to be eliminated. The Recovery Act JAG funds will keep this program active during the busy season in 2009.

NCA/NCF