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 disparate jurisdictions comprising of Brigham City and Box Elder County will use their Recovery Act JAG award to acquire law enforcement equipment. The city of Brigham, serving as the fiscal agent, will use their share of the grant to purchase items for the Brigham City Police Department that will allow them to maintain officer safety and respond to specific incidents, such as when officers enter a situation that may involve shooting. The items that will be purchased include rifles, ballistic helmets, load bearing vests, and holographic sights. The Brigham City Police Department will also purchase scene lights that will allow investigators to work a crime scene when it is dark.

Box Elder County will use their funds to purchase Smart Boards and a room partition for the Box Elder County Sheriff's Office. The room partition will allow law enforcement to divide their Emergency Operation Center into rooms when needed, such as when the room is being used for different trainings or meetings. The Smart Boards will be placed in the Mobile Command Center shared by all county jurisdictions and in the county's Emergency Operation Center and the alternate Emergency Operation Center. The Smart Boards will be used to send data between the main and alternate sites in cases of emergencies, evacuations, or Special Weapons and Tactics operations. Information could also be sent directly to other police officers' computers that are not located at any of the Smart Board sites.

NCA/NCF