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 DeKalb will use its Fiscl Year 2009 Recovery Act JAG award in the amount of $10,052 to purchase essential equipment for the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's office will obtain rescue and surveillance equipment. The rescue equipment will provide the department the ability to work more closely with the numerous volunteer fire agencies in DeKalb and surrounding counties with their rescue operations. The rescue equipment will also allow them to save a drowning victim without the need of a dive team. The surveillance equipment will allow the sheriff's office to more aggressively conduct covert surveillance in the buying and selling of illegal controlled substances. This equipment will help officers make arrests and create solid cases for prosecution. The equipment will help the community over a period of time in a positive manner with the intent on stopping narcotics and narcotic related offenses.

NCA/NCF