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 disparate jurisdictions consisting of Washington County, St. George City, and Hurricane City will use their Recovery Act JAG award to purchase equipment. Washington County, serving as the fiscal agent, will purchase an emergency response vehicle for the Washington County Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff's Office needs a car for their Crisis Negotiation Unit, who has responded to situations in which they have had to use a regular patrol vehicle and then find a room nearby to use as a negotiation center. This has delayed their response times as they search for a location and set up their equipment. The emergency response vehicle will improve their response time and, in doing so, may save lives. St. George will purchase a new security system for the police department. The system they have been using does not record video to storable media, and the police department is unable to use the system to adequately monitor public and secure areas of the building. The St. George Police Department will also purchase in-car video cameras for patrol vehicles, a trailer to be utilized in crime scene investigations, firearms and tasers for their new hires, and ballistic vests. The city of Hurricane will use its share of funds to purchase and install a radio communications system in the new Hurricane City Police Department facility. The equipment will allow office personnel to communicate with officers in the field and with 800 MHz program partners.

NCA/NCF