Facilitating Rural Justice Information Sharing

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 4, the County of Lincoln will use their grant funds to support the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department. The funds will: 1) increase the flow of information across jurisdictions throughout the state of Maine; 2) increase the ability of law enforcement agencies to combat crime and drugs in their communities; 3) assist in the economic recovery of the state by preventing the loss of jobs, creating new jobs and purchasing goods and services that put money back into the local economy; and 4) save tax payer dollars by streamlining the function of law enforcement officers by offering a service that reduces their time spent behind a desk, and increases their time spent on the road solving crime. Funds will support the production and dissemination of a statewide intelligence information sharing bulletin that goes to every law enforcement officer in the state, three times per week. This bulletin will be put together by three Crime Analysts who work both the northern and southern areas of the state to cull important criminal justice information and to share that in a timely manner across the state.

CA/CF