Law Enforcement Technology

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 of the city of Ottawa and Franklin County will use the JAG Recovery grant funds ($78,020) for the city of Ottawa Police Department and Sheriff's Office of Franklin County. The City of Ottawa wil serve as the fiscal agent and applicant for this project. The funding will give the city and county the ability to directly access state and NCIC databases and provide for an interface between computer aided dispatch and mobile computers. Officers will upload police reports, minimizing the need to return to the Station, and allowing the officers to remain in the patrol sector for their entire shift. Additionally, the city will purchase 44 licenses for a base message switch to provide access to state and NCIC databases and the purchase of mobile upload software licenses that will allow the transfer of information and pictures. The wireless capability will link mobile computers to the local records management system, allowing for the upload of police reports from cars to the station, including information from the division of motor vehicles information and law enforcement databases as well as mug-shot and driver's license downloads.

NCA/NCF