Mobile Computer Replacement

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 Highlands will use its JAG Recovery award to support the Highlands County Sheriff's Office. The Highlands County Sheriff's Office will use JAG Recovery funds for a mobile computer replacement project. Highlands County is located within an economically distressed region and the recent legislative events have made it difficult to compete for much needed funding for priority public safety services. This project would replace 22 existing laptop computers in law enforcement vehicles that have reached the end of their useful life and exceeded the manufacturer warranty with 'toughbook' equivalent mobile computers. Without Recovery Act funding, the agency would otherwise not be able to replace the mobile computers as timely as necessary. The mobile computers offer numerous benefits to the agency by enabling the deputies to retrieve time sensitive information relevant to a suspect or traffic offender and as a result increase officer safety. Mobile computer replacement is necessary to continue to improve the increased demands placed upon the criminal justice system and assists in the promotion of economic recovery locally.

NCA/NCF