City of Joplin 2009 Recovery 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 of Jasper County and the cities of Joplin and Carthage will use their Recovery Act JAG award in the amount of $251,139 to purchase equipment, hire staff, and support existing programs for their law enforcement agencies. The city of Joplin, serving as the fiscal agent, will use its share of the grant to hire an additional police officer and fund the promotion of a sergeant to a lieutenant, retain a cyber crimes detective, hire a part-time work release/ inmate worker coordinator, fund improvements to the jail facility to accommodate a work release program, and implement a Crime Stoppers Program. The city of Carthage will use its share of the grant to purchase software upgrades for the local jail system, including a mugshot system, LiveScan software, and a SMART evidence module with barcode capabilities. Jasper County will use its share of the grant to fund improvements to the infrastructure of the sheriff's department's communications system.

NCA/NCF