FY 2009 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 consisting of Linn county and the cities of Albany, Lebanon, and Sweet Home will use their Fiscal Year 2009 Recovery Act JAG award in the amount of $120,654 to increase and improve technology and communications that will provide better training, increased effectiveness for evidence collection and prosecution of crime, and provide updated and more efficient radio communication and coverage area for all local law enforcement partners. The city of Albany, serving as the fiscal agent for this award, will share the Recovery Act JAG funds with four disparate jurisdictions. Each jurisdiction will receive $30,163.50. In a disparate situation, the units of local government must apply for an award with a single, joint application. Each jurisdiction's 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: technology enhancement, specifically, the addition of a second radio repeater to increase and enhance area of coverage for equipment/technology improvement programs; the enhancement and improvement of vehicle and portable radio communications equipment; in-car video systems for all marked patrol units; and, technology improvement/law enforcement programs to purchase and install a MILO Use of Force Training Simulator. This simulator is a computer operated shoot/don't shoot training aide that officers use to train in stressful decision making and use of force situations.

NCA/NCF