Recovery Act JAG 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 disparate jurisdictions consisting of Scott County and cities of Bettendorf and Davenport will share the Recovery Act JAG funds. Scott County, serving as the fiscal agent, will provide $300,000 to the city of Davenport to allow them to equip an indoor firing range at the Davenport Police Department. According to a signed agreement with the cities of Bettendorf and Davenport, the county will retain the remaining grant funds to support the Quad City Metropolitan Enforcement Group Drug Task Force and the Scott Emergency Communication Center. Project goals are to: reduce the amount of illegal narcotics available to the public and arrest those who distribute illegal narcotics; consolidate the law enforcement function of arrest warrants through job creation; and provide the community with quality trained police officers. The drug task force consists of eight law enforcement agencies, the Iowa National Guard, two county prosecutor's offices, and two federal prosecutor's offices. The task force measures its success by the quantity of narcotics seized, the number of drug trafficking organizations dismantled or disrupted, and the number of felony arrests made. The Scott Emergency Communication Center is the collaborative effort of the cities of Davenport and Bettendorf and Scott County. The center's consolidation of warrants will improve responsiveness, standardize policies and protocols, create emergency responder radio and data interoperability, and enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of translating a 911 call for service. The Davenport firing range will develop a stronger police force among all agencies that brings about employee retention. Since the range is located within the police department, it will economically benefit the community by saving officer travel time and fuel.

NCA/NCF