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 Denton, the cities of Denton, Lewisville, Flower Mound, and the Colony, and the town of Little Elm are in a disparate arrangement and will share the Recovery Act JAG award. The Denton County Sheriff's Office will serve as the fiscal agent to administer the JAG Recovery funds for all six jurisdictions. The Denton County Sheriff's Office will procure a new law enforcement patrol boat to replace an aging lake patrol boat. The Denton County District Attorney's Office will procure necessary items and equipment for courthouse security (e.g., weapon/ammunition storage cabinets, specialty suits for hands-on incident training, weapon conversion kits, evacuation chair, and office equipment for prosecuting criminal cases). The Denton Police Department will purchase an automatic license plate recognition system, weapons, protection gear, cartridges, and forensic analysis equipment. The Lewisville Police Department will purchase crime zone software, tactical equipment, cameras, and communication devices. The Flower Mound Police Department will procure an Early Warning System and software (includes training) to be used by management to identify police officer misconduct and behavior patterns. The Colony Police Department will acquire a digital camera and tactical items for the Investigations Division. The Little Elm Police Department will procure RMS interface software for proper record retention and accessibility. The Recovery Act JAG funds will enhance law enforcement, prosecution, and court programs by increasing efficiency in these areas with technological advances, implementing safety equipment and training, and preserving employment positions.

NCA/NCF