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.

Dutchess County and the cities of Beacon, Poughkeepsie, East Fishkill, and Poughkeepsie Town will use Recovery Act JAG funds in the amount of $383,338 to enhance law enforcement services to the community in an effort to reduce crime and aid in officer redeployment which allows officers to spend more time on the street. Through the grant, the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office will purchase patrol rifles and associated equipment to ensure officer safety in situations involving heavily armed suspects. Beacon City will use funds to purchase a computer aided dispatch system that will provide an efficient means of communication between dispatchers and police officers in the field. The city of Poughkeepsie will use its grant funds to replace mobile data terminals in its police vehicles and purchase additional street cameras to enhance surveillance and deter crime in targeted areas of the city. The town of East Fishkill will use its share to purchase mobile computers for its Police Department's patrol vehicles to enable officers to run data checks while on patrol and improve communication between the officer and police headquarters. Remaining funds will be used by the town of Poughkeepsie Police Department to update a recording system used to record all in coming and out going phone calls and radio transmissions, and upgrade computer servers. For purposes of grant administration, the city of Poughkeepsie has been designated as the fiscal agent for this award.

NCA/NCF