Elizabethton Police Department Crime Prevention/Park Monitoring 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 Elizabethton will use its JAG Recovery grant in the amount of $34,858 to reduce vandalism in and around the community. This will be accomplished through installing six video cameras in the Covered Bridge Park area. These cameras will monitor activities that will assist in curtailing vandalism and other high crime activities. Internet service will be provided to each of the cameras located in the park. This service will allow for broadcasting images 24 hours, seven days a week, to the Carter County 911 Dispatch Center. This monitoring program will also assist in preserving jobs by reducing the City's financial burden for operating the park when vandalized.

NCA/NCF