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FY 2009 Recovery Act JAG Program

Award Information

Awardee
Award #
2009-SB-B9-2688
Location
Awardee County
Sarasota
Congressional District
Status
Closed
Funding First Awarded
2009
Total funding (to date)
$314,806

Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2009, $314,806)

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.

Sarasota County, through the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, will use their Fiscal Year 2009 Recovery Act JAG award for the creation of a Pharmaceutical Diversion Investigative Unit (PDIU). The goal of the unit will be to reduce the number of pharmaceutical drug overdose deaths in Sarasota County. The unit will be comprised of three new positions including one law enforcement investigator and two civilian investigative aides. The PDIU will develop a program and implement a county-wide initiative specifically targeting issues related to pharmaceutical drug abuse and diversion that includes prescription fraud, doctor shopping, overdose related deaths, incidents of overdose, and public education/awareness. Investigators will work with local, state, and federal agencies through information sharing and training. The members of the unit will coordinate information, arrest persons involved in related crime activities, and reduce the quantity of illegally obtained pharmaceuticals for street level distribution. The unit's primary responsibility will be to investigate pharmaceutical diversion, educate the public regarding prescription drug abuse in Sarasota County, and combat the rising number of drug related overdose deaths.

NCA/NCF

Date Created: July 22, 2009