Enhanced Police Services Through the Hiring of a Court Liaison and Evidence Custodian

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 Stroud Area Regional Police Department (SARPD) will use the grant award to hire civilian law enforcement personnel. The SARPD will hire civilians to fill the positions of court liaison, a newly created position, and evidence custodian, currently being filled by a full-time detective. The court liaison will represent SARPD in court appearances and pre-trial and pre-hearing conferences, schedule officers for court, handle all aspects of the subpoena process, work with witnesses and victims, assist with victim's rights issues, track the disposition of court cases, and respond to court discovery requests. The evidence custodian will handle and document submitted property and evidence from initial receipt through to purging, safeguard the integrity of chain-of-custody, release evidentiary items to authorized law enforcement personnel, and transport evidence to the laboratory for analysis.

CA/NCF