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 city of San Antonio and the following entities are listed as disparate jurisdictions on for the Fiscal Year 2009 JAG Recovery Act award: Bexar County and the cities of Balcones Heights, Leon Valley, Universal City, and Live Oak. The city of San Antonio will serve as the fiscal agent to administer grant funds for all six jurisdictions. JAG Recovery funds will be used to procure law enforcement equipment, hire personnel, fund substance abuse treatment programs, and to provide law enforcement officers with crisis intervention training.

Specifically, the city of San Antonio Police Department will utilize their entire allocation to purchase approximately 300 new mobile data terminals in order to be compatible with the new CAD/RMS being implemented. Bexar County will fund continued and new positions for its family drug court (director, support monitor, and data tracking specialist); fund probation officer positions, prosecutors, and a DA advocate and DA investigator; purchase computer hardware/software (with accompanying accessories and licenses), servers, digital video camera systems, radar units, patrol vehicles, tasers, and safety equipment/gear. The cities of Balcones Heights, Leon Valley, and Live Oak Police Departments will procure Toughbook computers. The Universal City Police Department will acquire in-car digital cameras with accompanying accessories.

NCA/NCF