FY 2009 Recovery Act Byrne Competitive 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 Nampa, in conjunction with the Nampa Police Department, will use the grant award to hire civilian law enforcement staff. The goals of the project are to stabilize local government funding in order to minimize reductions in essential services provided by the Nampa Police Department. The police department will fund two dispatcher positions, two animal control officers, and an evidence technician. Hiring these personnel would bring the dispatch, animal control, and evidence divisions up to full staff levels as originally planned in the fiscal year 2009 budget. The major deliverables include a reduction in animal control calls handled by sworn officers, an efficient and timely dispatch response to emergency and non-emergency calls, and (in the evidence division) timely collection and processing of evidence to support officer investigations and court testimony.

CA/NCF