Recovery Act Grant Program

The Recovery Act Edward Byrne Memorial Competitive Grant Program (Byrne Competitive Program) will help communities improve the capacity of state and local justice systems and provide for national support efforts including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address local needs. This competitive grant announcement focuses on initiatives in eight areas: 1) preventing and reducing violent crime through community-based data-driven approaches; 2) providing funding for neighborhood-based probation and parole officers; 3) reducing mortgage fraud and crime related to vacant properties; 4) hiring of civilian support personnel in law enforcement (training staff, analysts, dispatchers, etc.); 5) enhancing forensic and crime scene investigations; 6) improving resources and services for victims of crime; 7) supporting problem-solving courts; and 8) national training and technical assistance partnerships.

Under category 4, the city of Charlotte, in conjunction with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), will use the grant award to hire civilian law enforcement staff. The main goal for this project is the reduction of crime in local neighborhoods. To accomplish this goal the city of Charlotte, along with CMPD, will hire four crime analysts along with the equipment necessary for them. The civilian staff members will work closely with sergeants responsible for developing neighborhood crime reduction strategies in each of the CMPD's 39 response areas. They will ensure that the sergeants have the information necessary to create data-driven strategies and deployment plans for their small areas of the city. The hiring of the crime analysts will result in more timely response to emerging crime patterns and the ability to properly deploy officers to areas where crime is occurring during the days and hours when patterns have emerged. The grant will also fund travel to two mandated U.S. Department of Justice grant meetings.

CA/NCF