Preserving the Quality of Life in Rural Minnesota

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) solicits applications for initiatives which assist law enforcement in rural states and rural areas. The program helps rural states and rural areas to prevent and combat crime, especially drug-related crime, and provides for national support efforts, including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address rural needs.

The Assistance to Rural Law Enforcement to Combat Crime and Drugs Program, administered by BJA, helps rural states and rural areas prevent and combat crime, especially drug-related crime, and provides for national support efforts, including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address rural needs. In addition, priority consideration will be given to local law enforcement agencies in rural areas where the unit of local government is not eligible to receive a direct allocation from the Recovery Act Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program or received a direct allocation that was $50,000 or less. Applicants were invited to submit a proposal under any one of the following categories to: (1) combat rural crime; (2) improve rural law enforcement investigations; (3) enhance rural detention and jail operations; (4) facilitate rural justice information sharing; or (5) develop a national training and technical assistance program.

Under Category 1, the city of Saint James will support the Saint James Police Department's (SJPD) Preserving the Quality of Life in Rural Minnesota project by hiring a Narcotics/Gang Investigator. SJPD is currently understaffed and unable to efficiently investigate narcotics and gang crimes in the Saint James/Watonwan County area. The investigator will support the Minnesota River Valley Drug and Gang Task Force (MRVDTF), which is a multi-jurisdictional drug and gang task force specializing in street to mid-level narcotics investigations. The position will fill the gap left last year from the loss of the previous rural investigator position. The grant funds will also be used for travel to mandatory grant training.

CA/CF