FY 2009 Recovery Act Justice Assistance Grant 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 Killeen, serving as the fiscal agent for this award, will share the Recovery Act JAG funding with three neighboring jurisdictions and Bell County. In a disparate situation such as this, the units of local government must apply for an award with a single, joint application. Each jurisdictions' allocation will be used for activities and projects that will provide meaningful and measurable outcomes consistent with the goals of the Recovery Act to include the purchase of the following essential equipment: a K-9 vehicle, a patrol vehicle, a command post tractor, a prisoner transport vehicle, an all-terrain vehicle, bicycles for specialized patrols, bulletproof vests and duty gear for patrol officers, firearms, cameras, imagers, computers, air cards for wireless access, crime software, evidence inventory management equipment and software for property and evidence inventory, polygraph systems, a wireless utility pole and portable surveillance system, and night vision equipment.

NCA/NCF