Crime Reduction and Criminal Prosecution 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 the city of Chickasha and Grady County will use their Recovery Act JAG award in the amount of $94,982 to reduce the amount of crime in Chickasha by participating in the Crime Reduction and Criminal Prosecution Program. The city of Chickasha, serving as fiscal agent, will use $75,000 to purchase equipment and supplies to help implement and enhance the program. Equipment purchases include, but are not limited to, a digital in-car video system, fingerprint developer, palm print tape, green gas, radar, a VCR & DVD player, and crime scene camera kits. The Chickasha Police Department will report the number of high crime areas identified, the number of enhanced enforcement activities and the number of re-worked areas each quarter. Grady County will use $19,982 to purchase analog/digital radios. Both agencies will work together in a program designed to identify high crime areas and selected enforcement techniques to reduce crime in those areas.

NCA/NCF