FY 2009 Recovery Act Justice Assistance Grant Project

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 Lorain, city of Lorain, city of Elyria, and the city of North Ridgeville are in a disparate arrangement and have agreed to share the Recovery Act JAG funds. Lorain County will serve as the fiscal agent managing the Recovery Act JAG award. The county of Lorain ($36,385.00) will purchase law enforcement carbines and piece respirators to better equip first responders in potentially dangerous situations. The funding will also provide equipment for the bomb squad, detective division, and training equipment. The city of Elyria ($99,787.00) will fund operational overtime for the Elyria Police Department patrol, dispatch, and jail operations. The city of Lorain ($209,815.00) will upgrade the voter and repeater sites and fund overtime for police officers at the Lorain Police Department to target specific neighborhoods with an emphasis on guns, drug, and gang enforcement. The city of North Ridgeville ($15,469.00) will purchase new mobile radios for the North Ridgeville Police Department to improve communication with police officers. They will also purchase a Smart Board training system. The Recovery Act JAG funds will improve the safety of the officers, citizens, and motorist within the jurisdictional limits of Lorain County; and Lorain, Elyria, and North Ridgeville Cities.

NCA/NCF