Greater Cleveland Area Justice Assistance 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 city of Cleveland is the fiscal agent for Cuyahoga County and the 18 other municipalities certified as disparate. All jurisdictions agreed to the fiscal agent and individual allocation amounts for each entity. Funds will be used to focus on job creation and preservation, crime reduction, and system improvements. Solon and Warrensville Heights will retain full-time police officers who were scheduled to be laid off this year. The Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department will reinstate four laid off deputies and create seven positions for criminal justice support staff. Cleveland will retain full-time police civilian support staff positions, including five fingerprint examiners and two crime analysts, and create positions for two new network analysts. Many jurisdictions will purchase vital law enforcement equipment and technology, such as police cruisers, radio communications equipment, electronic fingerprint systems, surveillance equipment, digital evidence management systems, mobile data computers, video equipment, and investigative analysis software. Brook Park and South Euclid will use funds to update their police firing ranges. Cuyahoga County will implement a Justice Reform Initiative to improve the case processing system. Bedford Heights, East Cleveland, Euclid, and Lakewood will create or expand local initiatives to combat crime with overtime for police officers and/or corrections officers and dispatchers.

NCA/NCF