Surveillance and Crime Suppression Equipment 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.

Bullhead City will use its Recovery Act JAG award to purchase equipment for the Bullhead City Police Department's use in conducting surveillance and suppressing drug and gang-related crime. They will purchase portable camera systems that can photograph activity in locations that have experienced high crime rates and locations where criminal transactions, such as gang activity or drug sales, occur. Related equipment, such as video monitoring and recording equipment and a video capture card, will also be purchased to allow video images to be recorded and transmitted and then used in apprehending and prosecuting suspects. The Recovery Act JAG award will also pay for tracking devices that will allow investigators to follow individuals involved in illegal activity. Lastly, the Bullhead City Police Department will purchase a microscope and related hardware and software for their crime lab. The microscope will be used to detect trace evidence from crime scenes.

NCA/NCF