Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2009, $37,554)
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 town of Medford will use its Fiscal year 2009 Recovery Act JAG award in the amount of $37,554 to assist in making equipment purchases for the Medford Police Department. An Automated License Plate Reader system (ALPR) will be used to scan a multiple number of license plates in a matter of seconds. The system will relay the information if a car is registered to a wanted felon or if there has been traffic violations associated with it. The purchase and installation of a space saver locker system will provide a more secure temporary storage area for evidence until the technician can secure the evidence as per protocol for court and laboratory analysis. The space saver locker system will be installed in a wall between the evidence office and a hallway monitored by a security camera. The use of a Digital Image Management System (DIMS) will enable officers to properly secure and archive digital photos taken during investigations. This system allows for document changes and enhancements to a photo so that evidence can be clearly seen in the photo. These purchases will help the town and police department of Medford reduce the amount of parking tickets owed to the city, reduce the number of unregistered motor vehicles, increase the amount of arrests of wanted individuals, and prevent violations of chain of custody protocol.
NCA/NCF