Technology Improvement and Drug Reduction 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 the city of Macon and Bibb County will use their Fiscal Year 2009 Recovery Act JAG award to support the Technology Improvement and Drug Reduction Program. The Macon Police Department (MPD) will use their portion for technology improvements. The objectives of the Macon Police Department are to provide high quality, effective, and efficient law enforcement services; reduce the amount of time spent on routine administrative tasks; and acquire additional technologies for departmental monitoring and evidence collection. The MPD will use the funds for technology improvements to purchase computers, in-car cameras, Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs), forensic video surveillance software, employee performance software, new records management software, and evidence bar-coding system.

Bibb County will utilize their portion of the award to fund the Bibb County Drug Court Program. The Bibb County Adult Drug Court program is designed to help adults overcome their addiction to alcohol and/or drugs. The mission is to serve the community by addressing the problems of substance abuse offenders who commit crimes against society. To proactively reduce drug use and related criminal activities, Bibb County has committed to the process of providing a treatment program alternative to incarceration. Individuals are placed into the drug treatment program after an arrest for either possession or attempting to purchase narcotics illegally or for drug abuse.

NCA/NCF