Project Safe Highways

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.

Cherokee County will use the FY 2009 Recovery Act JAG funds to purchase three traffic message boards to monitor aggressive or speeding drivers. In addition, phone modems and radar options will be purchased for the traffic message boards. These purchases will allow county sheriff deputies to perform other duties while on the scene of an accident, instead of manually working traffic control to deter the speeding motorists. Also, 40 Roadside LED Duro Flare Kits will be purchased and dispersed throughout the sheriff's department's uniform patrol division and will be used for traffic safety in emergency situations. The goal of these equipment purchases is to have motorists stop or slow down in the event of an emergency. This will help to lower the number of traffic accidents and save lives in Cherokee County.

NCA/NCF