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.

Prowers County and the city of Lamar will share the Recovery Act JAG funds to purchase equipment for Prowers County sheriff's deputies and the Lamar Police Department's tactical response team. The Prowers County Sheriff's Office will receive $5,750, and the Lamar Police Department will receive $6,888 for the purchase of equipment. Problems associated with illegal drug use have increased dramatically over the last few years. Equipment is needed to conduct safe and effective interdiction stops and high-risk warrant services, to record undercover drug buys, and to perform surveillance on suspected drug activity. The combined Prowers County Sheriff's Office and Lamar Police Department Task Force will be manned by certified peace officers from their two agencies and be supervised by a commander from each agency. All equipment purchased by these grant funds will be distributed to the appropriate officers and agencies. The objective of this project will be to: equip 10 Prowers County Sheriff's Office patrol cars with high-quality flashlights to conduct safe interdiction traffic stops in rural areas; equip these same units with holographic rifle sights for their patrol rifles for serving high-risk warrants; equip Lamar Police Department Task Force officers with body wire equipment, surveillance equipment, and recording equipment for conducting undercover surveillance and drug buys; and equip Lamar Police Department detectives with appropriate digital cameras for conducting high-profile investigations and properly documenting scenes and evidence.

NCA/NCF