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 county of Flathead will use its FIscal Year 2009 Recovery Act JAG Program in the amount of $106,197 to expand communication capabilities in the Northeast section of Flathead County which contains Glacier National Park and an unmanned Canadian Border crossing. The county will use the funds to upgrade a radio site on Desert Mountain to a trunked radio site allowing for secure communications between federal, tribal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. This and other trunked radio sites will provide advanced digital, secure voice, and data communications for interoperability across the region, and will allow agencies to access accurate and up-to-date information securely. This trunked radio site will also allow enhanced communication among law enforcement, fire, medical, and search and rescue teams in Glacier National Park.

NCA/NCF