Criminal Justice Information System Upgrade

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.

Grand Traverse County plans to use funds to support law enforcement by replacing the criminal justice information system that is shared by the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office and the Traverse City Police Department. The system also manages the county's jail operation and provides a critical link to the prosecutor's office and the local court system. The current system is at least 20 years old and has reached its capacity to store and process information. The new system will provide state-of-the-art record keeping as well as integrate other critical criminal justice activities. The system will include incident based reporting, enhanced investigative abilities, officer reporting, and general record keeping. It will provide for a complete jail management system which will integrate all critical data from the county's law enforcement agencies, the prosecuting attorney, and the courts and will serve as the basis for computer aided dispatch and mobile data units in the field. This project will allow the county and the city to function more efficiently and effectively in the provision of criminal justice services to the residents.

NCA/NCF