FY 2009 Recovery Act Justice Assistance Grant 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 county of Tipton will use its Fiscal Year 2009 Recovery Act Justice Assistance Grant award in the amount of $85,894 to enhance the delivery of police services to the residents of the county through additional patrol deputies, enhanced crime tracking, and correctional facility security. The Tipton County Equipment and Software Project is a project of the Tipton County Sheriff's Office. Funding will provide one patrol vehicle for one of five new enforcement positions planned for FY 2009-2010. It will also provide software needed to integrate crime data into a mapping and crime data analysis system available to the sheriff's office as well as additional state and local criminal justice agencies. The sheriff's department will provide security cameras and equipment to upgrade and enhance correctional facility security. The result of these enhanced services in patrol, criminal investigations, and corrections security will benefit the residents of Tipton County and the surrounding communities.

NCA/NCF