Van Zandt County FY 2009 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 Van Zandt County Sheriff's Office of Clinton, Texas will use the JAG Recovery funds to purchase law enforcement equipment to assist them in their efforts to prosecute criminal cases. The funds will be used to purchase mobile digital video camera systems that are integrated with rugged mobile computer systems and training employees on the system.

The county of Van Zandt will utilize the Recovery Act JAG funds to support the Van Zandt County Sheriff's Office. The Van Zandt Sheriff's Office will purchase mobile digital video systems which will allow for at least one working camera system to be available 24 hours a day in addition to any working VHS systems. The mobile digital camera systems will be integrated with rugged mobile computers on which the officer will be able to control the functions of the camera system, including tagging video evidence with suspect name, offense type, location and other pertinent data. The officers will also be able to use the mobile computers to access the Sheriff's Office's records management system. Deputies will be able to generate criminal offense reports from the field allowing them to stay on patrol instead of returning to the office to complete reports.

NCA/NCF